Elgar’s Symphony No.2

We are disappointed to announce that Yunchan Lim is no longer able to perform in this concert due to a hand injury.

 Yunchan Lim is currently undergoing treatment with his doctor and physical therapist. It is therefore with profound regret that he must withdraw from his forthcoming concerts under his doctor’s orders. This will allow the injury time to heal and to protect against future issues.

 We are extremely grateful to Denis Kozhukhin for agreeing to perform Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.3 at short notice.

‘Rarely, rarely comest thou, Spirit of Delight!’ The orchestra hovers, poised. It pulls back – and then surges forward in wave upon sweeping wave of golden sound. Nothing in British music is more exhilarating than the opening of Elgar’s Second Symphony, and nothing quite matches what follows: a passionate, no-holds-barred emotional autobiography, ending in a sunset of heartbreaking beauty.

If that doesn’t sound like your idea of British music, let Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra show you what you’ve been missing. It’s hard to imagine a more magnificent complement to Rachmaninov’s mightiest (and most opulent) piano concerto, played tonight by Denis Kozhukhin, and a swashbuckling, storm-swept overture by the Suffragette composer Dame Ethel Smyth.