Easter symphonic treat with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra

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The Scottish Chamber Orchestra kicks off the Easter weekend with two concerts featuring the Symphonies in C of Stravinsky and Bizet, in Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall (Thursday 9 April) and Glasgow’s City Halls (Friday 10 April). American conductor Andrew Litton (pictured) will direct the concerts and will be joined by leading English soprano Sally Matthews for Britten’s popular song cycle, Les Illuminations.

Sally Matthews is a previous winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award and made her Royal Opera House debut in 2001. She performs regularly as a recitalist and opera singer throughout the world and last year debuted as recitalist at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam . She was also part of the BBC New Generation Artists scheme.

Les Illuminations is based on the fantastical poem of Arthur Rimbaud, to which Britten instantly felt compelled to set music. It is scored for strings and voice and perfectly mirrors the fantasies of the text, complete with magic and monsters.

Composed during the Second World War and a period of personal turmoil, Stravinsky’s symphony is dark and brooding. It is complemented by 17-year-old Bizet’s colourful and lighthearted work, which brings the concerts to a close.

The well respected conductor Andrew Litton has directed some of the world’s leading orchestras. He currently holds the positions of Music Director Emeritus of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Conductor Laureate of the Bournemouth Symphony and Music Director of the Bergen Philharmonic. He last conducted the SCO in a programme of Mendelssohn, Britten and Mozart during the 2006/07 Season.

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