Delyana Lazarova       conductor
Hana Chang                violin

Fanny Mendelssohn  Overture in C
Mozart                        Violin Concerto No. 4
Caroline Shaw            Entr’acte
Beethoven                  Symphony No. 8

This concert of contrasts sees a pair of pioneering female composers facing off against two pillars of the male classical establishment. Fanny Mendelssohn was as prodigious a talent as her brother, Felix, and only her gender prevented her from getting the recognition she deserved. Her lively and lyrical Overture in C has a fascinating contemporary counterpart in Caroline Shaw’s Entr’acte. The Pulitzer Prize-winner was inspired by hearing a performance of a Haydn String Quartet to create a mesmerising, off-kilter minuet.

Renowned as a pianist, Mozart was also a gifted performer on the violin and between 1772 and 1782 he wrote five concertos for the instrument. His unshowy playing style was reflected in the fourth concerto, a supple and fluid piece with a singing slow movement and a few surprises to tease the listener. Beethoven’s 8^th Symphony appears to have more in common with Mozart’s classical world than his more revolutionary and expansive works and yet he reportedly preferred this jovial piece of concision to his more famous 7^th Symphony. Pugnacious and armed with several mischievous pranks, its buoyant spirits explode from every note, not least in its barnstorming finale.

Free pre-concert talk, 6.20pm in the auditorium: Delyana Lazarova in conversation.