Avon Concordia presents a collection of pieces centered around themes of nostalgia, melancholy and better times. Memories of innocence, naivety and wonder at life and the world. This programme opens with two brand new features from Bristol based composer Liam O'Connell, and Hong Kong based Henry Chan who is currently studying in Bristol. Tchaikovsky's famous retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet takes us through perhaps the most famous romantic tragedy. The night is concluded by Prokofiev's final word on the Symphony, a work surprisingly more approachable than some of his earlier symphonies, largely down to it's aim to capture an innocent cheerfulness.
Avon Concordia is thrilled to present our latest programme, showcasing immense talent in both virtuosity and composition. Shayna D'Silva will make her public debut as a soloist performing Scriabin's much neglected piano concerto, a piece filled with both the rich romanticism of his contemporaries, and Scriabin's signature hypnotic musical textures. The programme will also see the premiere of Richard Jones' Symphony, the cornerstone of an 8 year long PhD into musical polystylism, a work brimming with action, sharp edges and infusions from across the globe. The concert is bookended by music selected to draw us into this eclectic landscape, and safely return us back, with works from the recently rediscovered Coleridge-Taylor and forever beloved Antonín Dvořák.
Avon Concordia returns to open our second season with set of thematically charged pieces, taking a journey from tragedy with Brahms, through to heroic Glazunov. Intersected by the 2nd live performance of local composer Sophie Stockham's Selene's Awakening, a piece conjuring the terrible effects on women affected by PMDD, through a unique blend of jazz and classical styles.
Join the Avon Concordia as we dive into the mysteries of fate with Tchaikovsky's timeless 5th Symphony. We'll be opening with a world premiere by local composer Ryan Power, a work also stained with fate and passion, with characters that parallel the great romantic tragedies of Romeo & Juliet, Pelleas & Mellisande etc. We will also be performing Grieg's Symphonic Dances, a collection of colourful pieces that evoke nostalgia and joy, incorporating Norwegian folk themes, and Grieg's signature raucous energy.
Join the Avon Concordia for our second orchestral programme, featuring three distinct works spanning the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. We begin with the world premiere of an exciting new work by Liam O'Connell, who also plays double bass with the orchestra! We are then joined by elite violinist Rhia Thomas who will perform Mendelssohn's demanding Violin Concerto. After a short interval, we will hear a rarely performed work by Kurt Weill (best known by far for 'Mack the Knife'), his neo-classical 2nd Symphony.
Join Bristol's newest orchestra, the 'Avon Concordia' in a musical feast of well-established and newly revived works. We begin with a lost work by English composer Alice Mary Smith, an exciting opportunity to hear a piece played for the first time in over a century (we think!). We then take a gentle stroll through the woods at night with some soothing Mendelssohn, before being taken through a whirlwind of dances, lullabies and songs found in Fauré's delightful 'Dolly Suite'. Heroism and grandeur then sweep in with Robert Schumann at his greatest, in a work that describes the great forests, hills and castles of Western Germany.