Tonight is all about stories of the human spirit. Alban Gerhardt returns with Shostakovich鈥檚 second cello concert whilst 鈥楢 Hero鈥檚 Life鈥� is the musical autobiography of Richard Strauss, under the baton of Alpesh Chauhan OBE.

Join the 大象传媒 Philharmonic Orchestra at our MediaCityUK studio for a live broadcast concert on 大象传媒 Radio 3 featuring three extraordinary works.

Music for beginnings and endings. It鈥檚 hard to find a more famous, or iconically flamboyant, first few seconds than the clarinet solo at the start of Gershwin鈥檚 Rhapsody in Blue.

Anja Bihlmaier and the 大象传媒 Philharmonic Orchestra give the world premiere of Mark Simpson鈥檚 ZEBRA between performances of two iconic 19th-century tone-poems: Richard Strauss鈥檚 Death and Transfiguration and Berlioz鈥檚 Symphonie fantastique

The irresistible sway of Johann Strauss鈥檚 An der sch枚nen blauen Donau has made it arguably the most famous waltz of all time.

Rhapsodies on love, death, and lust

Puccini first showcased his operatic voice through the orchestra alone with his Capriccio Sinfonico. Marking the start of his signature musical style, it blends the lyrical and dramatic qualities that later came to define his iconic operas.