Shaun Matthew Conductor
Finn Anderson-Hendra Cello
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JAMES LLOYD
Symphony No.1, Norwegian
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DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
Cello Concerto No.1 in Eb major, Op.134
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​LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Symphony No.1 in C major, Op.21​

Tonight, we open our concert with James Lloyd’s Norwegian Symphony. A member of the orchestra’s horn section, Lloyd composed the symphony for his wife, Imogen Lloyd, the SSO’s principal cellist, following a holiday to Norway. Inspired by the majesty and atmosphere of the Nordic landscape, the work captures both the grandeur and solitude of Norway’s natural world with vivid imagination and emotional warmth.
We are delighted to welcome Finn Anderson-Hendra the second winner of the SSO/YWMF Concerto Competition, for Dmitri Shostakovich’s gripping Cello Concerto No. 1. Written for the legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, the concerto combines sardonic wit, relentless energy, and profound introspection. Its driving rhythms, haunting lyricism, and fiercely demanding solo writing create a work of immense emotional power.
We conclude with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C major, a work that announced the arrival of a bold new symphonic voice. While rooted in the Classical traditions of Haydn and Mozart, the symphony already reveals Beethoven’s unmistakable originality, humour, and vitality, from its famously unexpected opening to its exuberant finale.
Join us for an evening of powerful contrasts, from Nordic landscapes and Soviet intensity to the brilliance and wit of Beethoven’s revolutionary first symphony.
Shaun Matthew
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