Hrůša conducts Beethoven and Shostakovich

'Whirlwinds of danger are raging around us…on with the fight, for the cause of humanity!' Shostakovich’s massive 11th Symphony was inspired by a revolution that failed, and from the roar of the crowds to the thunder of gunfire, it’s never seemed more relevant, or more urgent. Guest conductor Jakub Hrůša understands the power of history, making this a timely and thrilling climax to a concert of contrasts.

Because after all, music doesn’t get much more elegant and exuberant than Beethoven’s sunlit Second Piano Concerto – a young genius out to make a serious splash. Who better to play it than Jonathan Biss, the masterly American pianist who describes Beethoven’s music as 'truly one of the greatest gifts to my life'? Hrusa opens the concert with a rediscovery from Pavel Haas: a burst of jazz-age wit from one of Czech music’s silenced voices.