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The opening chords of Rachmaninov’s Second Piano seem to grow out of silence: just the starting point of one of the most gripping adventures ever created for virtuoso pianist and symphony orchestra. For Cinderella, meanwhile, the chimes of midnight change everything, at the brilliant climax of Prokofiev’s fairy-tale ballet suite.

In other words, there’s a definite aura of magic about this opening concert of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Symphony Orchestra’s new season. Chief conductor Sakari Oramo is joined by pianist Boris Giltburg – a pianist whose performances have been compared to Rachmaninov’s own. And in between comes a whole new enchantment: Sighs of Stars, a brand-new work from Sophie Lacaze, a French composer with a rare gift for weaving spells in sound.