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Sept
Brave new classical music era begins tomorrow in Harrogate
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The new Cuore chamber orchestra, which brings professional musicians to Harrogate, will stage the first concert of its inaugural season tomorrow night (September 27).
The orchestra, founded by local conductor William Dutton and supported by actor Freddie Fox, performed a launch event in May at the Royal Hall.
It aims to bring the quality of musicians to Yorkshire that are usually heard at places such as the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and Symphony Hall in Birmingham.
The orchestra will be based at the Royal Hall but travel around Yorkshire.
Saturday’s concert is the first of a 2025/26 season that will also include performances at locations such as St Wilfrid’s Church in Harrogate and the Howard Assembly Rooms in Leeds.
Freddie Fox introducing the event in May.
Kazakhstan pianist Oxana Shevchenko will be the soloist for Grieg’s piano concerto. The concert also includes Beethoven’s fist symphony and Mendelssohn’s ‘Italian’ symphony.
Ms Shevchenko, who rose to prominence after winning first prize at the Scottish International Piano Competition in 2010, said:
I’m absolutely thrilled to perform in Yorkshire to open the very first concert season of a newly founded orchestra established by my dear friend and colleague William Dutton.
Grieg’s piano concerto has been close to my heart ever since I first played it at the age of 11 — it’s a piece that never stops inspiring me. I can’t wait to bring its energy and lyricism to life at the magnificent Royal Hall for this very special occasion.
Oksana Shevchenko
The actor Freddie Fox, whose great-great grandfather Samson Fox was one of the founders of the Royal Hall in 1903, introduced the launch event in May.
The British conductor Barry Wordsworth and Lord Michael Berkeley, the presenter of Private Passions on Radio 3, who are Cuore’s artistic advisers, also attended.
Mr Fox and Mr Wordsworth are expected to be at the Royal Hall tomorrow.
You can read an interview with Mr Dutton here.
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