Young Japanese pianist Mao Fujita is taking the classical music world by storm with his technical mastery and ‘tremendous versatility’ (The Times). Celebrated for his interpretation of Mozart, tonight he performs his Piano Concerto No. 25. A jewel of the Classical period, it is widely considered one of Mozart’s greatest concertos.
After the interval comes Mendelssohn’s ‘Reformation’ Symphony. Never published during the composer’s lifetime, the Symphony showcases Mendelssohn’s unmistakable genius. In this celebration of the Protestant Reformation, he gives us music full of religious allusions, rich in colour and packed with warming melodies.
Osmo Vänskä has chosen Missy Mazzoli’s These Worlds In Us to open the programme. Dedicated to the composer’s father who was a soldier during the Vietnam War, it’s a moving reflection on memory, grief and love.