The Hall for Cornwall are welcoming back the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) for their first outing of 2025 in Truro on Friday, February 21.

This popular programme will have expansive Nordic themes and is conducted by Gergely Madaras.

BSO has an international reputation for their superb performances. Their world-class musicians include some of the finest players in the UK and they are renowned for taking music out of the concert halls and into the hearts of local communities.

Edvard Grieg’s iconic Piano Concerto is shot through with fiery passion and a Nordic quality echoing traditional Norwegian dances and instruments. The striking opening (perhaps one of the most recognisable in all classical music) is just one flash of Norwegian folk which inspired his emerging style. It continues with many attractive themes, a thrilling cadenza and dazzling originality, performed by Louis Schwizgebel.

Jean Sibelius’ First Symphony is significant – never before had a work of such stature emerged from Northern Europe, unveiling the previously unheard character of Nordic music, sounding both ‘old’ and ‘new’ at the same time. It’s clearly a work by a skilled composer who already had a musical voice of his own, and much of the musical personality that makes the later symphonies so distinctive is already visible.

Passionate yet reflective, Peteris Vasks’ music represents a symbol of hope for his Latvian homeland, conveying the message to never give up on beauty, even when the world is filled with turmoil.

The BSO serve the South and South West, but with a national and international reputation. They strive to be the model of a 21st century orchestra, enhancing lives through the power of music. Regarded as “the cultural heartbeat of the South West”, they serve their home territory of over 10,000 square miles with full symphonic concerts.

To book tickets, visit: www.hallforcornwall.co.uk/whats-on/bournemouth-symphony-orchestra-2/