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Two spirited but somewhat bittersweet pieces feature in this concert: first, Beethoven’s overture ‘Coriolan’, written in 1807 to accompany a tragic play set in antiquity, when the brave and proud general ‘Coriolan’ turned his army against the authority of Rome; it’s followed by Sergei Rachmaninov’s last composition, his Symphonic Dances, a magnificent suite of three orchestral pieces. Written in 1940 when he was living in America but painfully homesick, the work summarises his compositional style, deeply infused in the flavours of his native Russia. At the helm of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Symphony Orchestra is the American conductor Karina Canellakis, of Greek and Russian background, winner of the prestigious ‘Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award’ in 2016, and recently named Chief Conductor of the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest in the Netherlands. Canellakis is truly one of the most promising female conductors in today’s international scene.

Presenter Suzy Klein is joined by Helen Wallace to discuss the repertoire, as well as Canellakis career and talents.

Photo: Karina Canellakis Credit: Christo Christodoulou