Concerts

Saturday January 12th 2008, 7.30pm with a free pre concert talk at 6.30pm Mozart Overture: La nozze di Figaro Schubert Symphony No 5 in B flat Maurice Wright Flute Concerto in Two Movements (London Première) Mozart Piano Concerto No.20 in D minor Mozart L'amerò, sarò constante Mozart Ch'io mi scordi di te? METROPOLITAN SINFONIA TOMMY HARRINGTON conductor MIKHAIL KAZAKEVICH piano DAME EMMA KIRKBY soprano PREMA KESSELMAN flute LANA TROTOVSEK leader

Promoted by St George's Bristol

The Metropolitan Sinfonia makes its mark at St George's with a gala style concert that pays homage to the great cellist, conductor and human rights defender Mstislav Rostropovich. An orchestral suite by Schnittke, arranged by Russian violinist and conductor Vladimir Spivakov, makes a direct connection with two close friends of Rostropovich, and a composer whose work he championed throughout his career. With Bruch's haunting Kol Nidrei there is a chance to hear an astonishing young artist who Rostropovich considered to be one of the greatest cellists he had ever heard. The world première of a new Flute Concerto by American composer Maurice Wright and two much loved early romantic works by Beethoven and Schubert follow. Beethoven created his second piano concerto as a showpiece for his own talents as a pianist, and the extraordinary Russian pianist a friend of Mstislav Rostropovich, Mikhail Kazakevich, will take up the piece with his customary skill and deep artistry.

A feast for vocal lovers is promised when Dame Emma Kirkby recently voted by the BBC Music Magazine as the tenth greatest singer of the recorded era joins The Metropolitan Sinfonia in exquisite arias by Mozart complemented by acclaimed pianist Mikhail Kazakevich performing Mozart's haunting Piano Concerto No.20. The Metropolitan Sinfonia recently appeared in Channel Fours Premier Drama Britz, directed by Bafta Award winning director Peter Kosminksy and performed a highly successful Tribute Concert in memory of the cellist, conductor and human rights defender Mstislav Rostropovich at St George's Bristol. The Metropolitan Sinfonia's appearance at St. John's, Smith Square also includes the London Première of American composer Maurice Wright's Concerto in Two Movements for Flute and Orchestra, with Prema Kesselman the recently appointed young principal flautist of the Santiago Philharmonic Orchestra (Orquesta Filarmonica de Santiago, Chile) and Schuberts popular and lyrical Fifth Symphony.

St. John's, Smith Square - situated in the heart of Westminster - is regarded, not only as one of the masterpieces of the English Baroque, but as one of London's finest concert venues, attracting internationally renowned artists and performers.

Sponsored by Portland Physio and an anonymous donor