Top soloist to play with Viva

Sinfonia Viva will be joined on stage by French horn soloist Samuel Jacobs for Mozart’s Concerto No.4.

Samuel is principal horn of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, a position took up last year after two years as principal horn of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

As well as performing with orchestras across the world, Samuel has made commercial recordings for the film and pop industries including the soundtrack for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

He was part of the Sting tour, performing at the Hollywood Bowl, New York Met and MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Outside of music, Samuel has been an extra in the hit Bollywood movie Blue and appeared on several television quiz shows, including Countdown.

The programme on March 18 starts with Mendelssohn’s Fair Melusine Overture, a mystical piece inspired by the fateful love story of the marriage between a mermaid and a human being.

This will be followed by Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten, Arvo Pärt’s 1977 elegy marking Britten’s death the year before.

Pärt used his trademark ‘tintinnabuli’ style to create this memorable reflection on loss.

The work commemorates Britten as a kindred spirit, someone whose purity of musical ideas, Pärt felt, echoed his own.

Next on the programme will be Mozart’s Horn Concerto No.4. The piece was written in 1786 and dedicated by Mozart to his long-standing friend Ignaz Leutgeb, a virtuoso of the horn at the time.

And the climax of the evening is Beethoven’s Symphony No.7, regarded by the famous composer as the best of his series of symphonies. It was composed for a benefit concert in aid of Austrian and Bavarian soldiers and the première was conducted by Beethoven himself.

Duncan Ward explained: “Having made my debut with Sinfonia Viva in January, I am delighted to be returning to the city so soon and particularly to be performing again at Derby Cathedral.

“The cathedral is a majestic, resonant space which brings grace and stature to the varied programme of classics.

“It is wonderful that this concert is recommended by Classic FM – continuing its support of Viva.”

Supported by Rolls-Royce plc, Derby City Council, Derby LIVE, Derby Cathedral and Orchestras Live, Sinfonia Viva is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Tickets cost £20 (concessions £18) and are available from the box office at the Assembly Rooms (£1.25 booking fee applies when booking in person) on 01332 255800 or online at www.derbylive.co.uk

n The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra (RPCO) is joining forces with the Nottingham Trent University Choir and the world famous Cantamus Girls Choir, to perform The Peacemakers, by Karl Jenkins, which is dedicated to the memory of all those who lost their lives during armed conflict.

The musical extravaganza will be held at Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall on Saturday, March 14, and a limited number of tickets are available.

The programme also includes a performance by the inspirational young pianist, Joseph Moog, who will be performing the Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor.

Joseph is the winner of two International Classical Music Awards. In 2012, he received the Award for Young Artist of the Year and in 2014 he won the Award for Solo Instrumentalist of the Year.

Nottingham Trent University Choir conductor Matthew Hopkins said: “It is thrilling to bring once again a world-class orchestra into the city to perform alongside the University Choir and the world-renowned Cantamus Girls Choir.”

For tickets to see this concert, you can visit www.trch.co.uk.