One spark is all it takes. A flash of light, a tiny shard of fire 鈥� and the imagination ignites. Tonight, we鈥檝e a whole shower of Sparks from our new Composer in Association Mark Simpson.
And what follows is a positive starburst of musical colour, whether it鈥檚 James MacMillan鈥檚 wild, fantastic viola concerto 鈥� played by the artist who gave its first ever performance in 2014, Lawrence Power 鈥� or the smouldering clarinet opening of Gershwin鈥檚 Rhapsody in Blue. It used to be one of Leonard Bernstein鈥檚 party pieces; tonight, Mancunian keyboard star Jonathan Scott will really go to town.
And finally: Stravinsky鈥檚 The Firebird, a tale of green-clawed demons, beautiful princesses and a magical bird of flame. The dynamic young British conductor Nicholas Collon will really set things ablaze.
Preview, 6.30pm: Recently appointed as the 大象传媒 Philharmonic's Composer in Association at the age of just 26, Mark Simpson talks about his future plans with the orchestra.