Midori plays Sibelius

Once upon a time, there was a merry rascal named Till Eulenspiegel… With a cheeky horn call and a burst of laughter, the RPO’s new season springs into life. Richard Strauss was music’s master storyteller, and every laugh, tear and punchline of Till’s madcap adventures is crammed into this dazzling score. You can almost sense the seduction in the dizzying waltzes and silken strings of Strauss’ ravishing Suite from Der Rosenkavalier, too. But there’s more than one way to tell a tale, and the RPO’s Principal Associate Conductor Alexander Shelley showcases the vibrant colours of Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi – the man behind Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro, and the RPO’s Composer-in-Association – and soars high above the Nordic skies with violin legend Midori, in Sibelius’ elemental Violin Concerto.

Midori unfurled ‘the music as a seamlessly lyrical rainbow – a small miracle of rhythmic precision and crystalline clarity.’ The Strad, January 2025