Izabela Stocka

Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra | Brahms, Williams and Sibelius
2023-07-05 19:30 - 21:30 (Europe/London) | White Rock Theatre, White Rock, Hastings, TN34 1JX, United Kingdom
HPO is delighted to be performing once again at the White Rock Theatre, where they are the orchestra in residence.
For this summer concert they welcome the renowned international pianist Stephanie Gurga as soloist for the rarely performed Vaughan Williams Piano Concerto. The programme also includes Sibelius’ uplifting Symphony No. 2 and two of Brahms’ most well-known Hungarian Dances.
Hungarian Dances No 1 and No 5. Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
The Hungarian Dances are a set of 21 lively dance tunes based mostly on Hungarian themes, completed in 1879. They are among Brahms’s most popular works and were the most profitable for him.
In 1850 Brahms met the Hungarian violinist Ede Remenyi and accompanied him in several recitals over the next few years. This was his introduction to ‘gypsy-style’ music such as the csardas, which was later to prove the foundation of his two sets of Hungarian Dances (published 1869 and 1880). Only numbers 11, 14 and 16 of these dances are entirely original compositions.
Nos 1 and 5 are the best-known of the dances. No 5 (Allegro – Vivace) is based on ‘Bártfai emlék’ (Memories of Bártfa) by Hungarian composer Béla Kéler, which Brahms mistakenly thought was a traditional folksong. A footnote on the Ludwig-Masters’ edition of a modern orchestration of Hungarian Dance No.1 (Allegro molto) states: ‘The material for this dance is believed to have come from the Divine Csárdás (ca. 1850) of Hungarian composer and conductor Miska Borzó.’
Piano Concerto in C major. Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
The Piano Concerto in C is a concertante work composed by Vaughan Williams in two stages – movements 1 and 2 in 1926 and movement 3 between 1930 and 1931. During the intervening years, the composer began work on his Fourth Symphony and completed Job: A Masque for Dancing. The concerto shares some thematic characteristics with these works, as well as some of their drama and turbulence.
The three movements are: I. Toccata: Allegro moderato – Largamente – Cadenza. II. Romanza: Lento. III. Fuga chromatica con Finale alla Tedesca.
The first movement of the concerto begins with driving, energetic music from the soloist set against a threatening, rising theme in the orchestra. A faster, more scherzo-like idea, shared out equally between piano and orchestra, soon contrasts against the opening music. These two blocks of music alternate, forming the basis of the entire movement. It is as though the traditional dialogue between soloist and orchestra has been supplanted by a more generalised dialogue of musical types. At the movement’s climax, a brief and thunderous piano solo is joined by the full orchestra. However, the orchestra suddenly cuts off to leave the piano musing alone in a short lyrical cadenza. This leads without a break into the slow movement.
The Romanza is more delicate, providing the listener with hints of Vaughan Williams’s previous studies with Maurice Ravel. In this Vaughan Williams here quoted the theme from the Epilogue of the third movement of Arnold Bax’s Symphony No. 3.
Again, without a pause from the previous music, the closing movement begins with a fugue that is linked to a waltz finale by flights of virtuosity from the piano soloist. It closes with the ensemble repeating themes from the first two movements, and then abruptly closes.
The work was premiered on 1 February 1933 by Harriet Cohen with the BBC Symphony Orchestra directed by Sir Adrian Boult. The Finale was edited shortly thereafter, and the work was published in 1936. The concerto was not well received at first, being considered unrewarding to the soloist. Though the piece provides ample opportunity for virtuosity in all movements, Vaughan Williams treated the piano as a percussion instrument, with the texture at times impenetrably thick.
While the concerto was rated highly by some Vaughan Williams took the advice of well-meaning friends and colleagues and reworked the piece into a Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, adding more texture to the piano parts.
Symphony No 2 in D major. Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Sibelius began to compose his Symphony No. 2 whilst he was staying in Italy in 1901 shortly after the successful premiere of the popular Finlandia. He finished it in 1902 in Finland. Sibelius noted that he ‘admired [the symphony’s] severity of style and the profound logic that created an inner connection between all the motifs’ but also said that ‘My second symphony is a confession of the soul’.
The symphony was premiered in March 1902, with the composer conducting. After three sold-out performances, Sibelius made some revisions; the revised version was given its first performance in 1903. While critics were divided following the symphony’s premiere, the public generally admired the piece as its grandiose finale was connected by some with the struggle for Finland’s independence – it was even popularly dubbed the ‘Symphony of Independence’, as it was written at a time of Russian sanctions on Finnish language and culture. Sibelius’s reaction to this has been widely debated; some claim that he had not intended any patriotic message and that the symphony was only identified by others as a nationalist composition, while others believe that he wrote the piece with an independent Finland in mind.
The symphony is written in four movements:
I. Allegretto – Poco allegro – Tranquillo, ma poco a poco ravvivando il tempo all’allegro – Poco largamente – Tempo I – Poco allegro.
II. Tempo andante, ma rubato – Poco allegro – Molto largamente – Andante sostenuto – Andante con moto ed energico – Allegro – Poco largamente – Molto largamente – Andante sostenuto – Andante con moto ed energico – Andante – Pesante
III. Vivacissimo – Lento e soave – Tempo primo – Lento e soave – (attacca)
IV. Finale: Allegro moderato – Moderato assai – Meno moderato e poco a poco ravvivando il tempo – Tempo I – Largamente e pesante – Poco largamente – Molto largamente (in D major)
First movement: The work grows almost organically out of a rising three-note motif heard at the opening of the work, first unstable and pastoral, then appearing in many guises throughout the entire symphony (and indeed forming the basis for most of the material), including forming the dramatic theme of the finale. More phrases are invisibly introduced, although very much related, creating a jigsaw puzzle-like effect. It is only at the climax of the movement that the full theme is heard.

Second movement: From his villa in Italy, Sibelius wrote: “Don Juan. I was sitting in the dark in my castle when a stranger entered. I asked who he could be again and again – but there was no answer. I tried to make him laugh but he remained silent. At last, the stranger began to sing – then Don Juan knew who it was. It was death.” On the same piece of paper, he wrote the bassoon theme for the first part of the second movement, out of which stems a pizzicato string ‘walking bass.’ Two months later, he drafted the second theme, with a note reading ‘Christus,’ perhaps symbolizing the death and resurrection of the movement, or even of Finland. It has been suggested that the movement is almost ‘a broken-hearted protest against all the injustice that threatens at the present time to deprive the sun of its light and our flowers of their scent.’ The movement culminates with a towering, brassy theme, following by an ethereal, mist-like motif in the divided strings.
Third movement: An angry, restless scherzo with machine-gun figures in the strings is blistering and fast giving a sense of frenetic preparation. It is followed by a slow trio section, featuring a lyrical oboe solo accompanied by the clarinets and horns. After a trumpet blast, the scherzo is played again. The trio section returns at the end of the movement as it bridges to the final movement.
Finale: Without pause, the final movement begins gloriously with colossal, loud, regal, and triumphant themes, often drawn from the first movement of the symphony. The transitional material from between the last two movements is brought back a second time so the victory of the major key can be appreciated again. This movement, develops towards a triumphant conclusion, perhaps intended to rouse in the listener a picture of lighter and confident prospects for the future.

London Camerata | Best of Classical [PREMIERE]
2023-07-01 08:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Zurich) | All Saints Church Ryde, Queen's Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 3BG, United Kingdom
Enjoy the world’s most favourite operas, ballets and film music performed by the London Camerata ensemble immersed in starlight. Be prepared for Music from the Four Seasons, Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Carmen, Magic Flute, Schindler’s List, Requiem for a Dream and many more!

Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra | Etchingham Music Festival
2023-06-28 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Etchingham Church, Etchingham, TN19 7AW, United Kingdom
We are delighted to be back in Etchingham, by kind invitation of the Etchingham Music Festival, as part of our declared aim to ‘take to the road’ to share our high-quality offering with local towns and villages.
Our violin soloist for this concert is HPO’s distinguished concert master Emil Chakalov.
The Holberg Suite Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
The Holberg Suite, Op. 40, is a suite of five movements based on 18th-century dance forms. It was written by Grieg in 1884 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Dano-Norwegian poet and playwright Ludvig Holberg (1684-1754).

The suite was initially composed for piano, but a year after it was written, Grieg changed his mind and orchestrated it for string orchestra. Grieg aimed to echo as much of the music that was popular in Holberg’s time, making it an early attempt at neoclassicism.
Holberg had put Scandinavia on the map in the theatrical circle. His comedic theatre works were dubbed ‘the Molière of the North.’ Norway, too, wanted to ride on Holberg’s success, as for some time the dramatist had lived in Bergen – Grieg’s hometown. So, when the bicentenary of Holberg’s birth had come around, the city of Bergen wanted to celebrate. Despite the dark and stormy winter, a festival was put on in December of that year. Grieg, who at this point was one of Europe’s most popular composers – was enlisted from the beginning to write a cantata for male voices to be performed outdoors around the new Holberg monument that was being erected in the central marketplace. Grieg was also asked to write another work to be performed in the concert hall. The cantata, which was performed in terrible weather, was soon forgotten. However, the dance suite became popular.
Originally entitled ‘From Holberg’s Time’, the Baroque-inspired dance suite became one of the composer’s most popular works. Grieg initially dismissed the piece, calling it ‘a perruque piece’ – after the 18th century powdered wigs. Despite this, the string orchestra version we know today is still widely performed around the world.
The movements of the suite are I. Praeludium – Allegro vivace; II. Sarabande – Andante; III. Gavotte – Allegretto; IV. Air – Andante religioso; V. Rigaudon – Allegro con brio.
The music
The Holberg Suite is a work of playfulness, gentility and historically informed practices. As with all Baroque suites, the work begins with a Praeludium – its Prelude.

I. Praeludium
In a toccata style, the flow of the opening prelude is exciting and joyous in character. The rushing scales cascade through the spritely opening and energetic figures flow throughout the movement.

II – Sarabande
Known as a slow and stately dance in 3/4 the Sarabande is gentle in character. The gentility woven throughout this slow and flowing movement highlights Grieg’s effective melodic writing. As the texture begins to thicken and become more sonorous, Grieg writes a glorious counter melody for the cellos.

III – Gavotte
A moderate-tempo dance, the Gavotte is charming in character. Originating from France, the contrasting dance – the musette, was originally danced with a bagpipe accompaniment. Although there are no bagpipes present, Grieg does try to emulate the characteristics of the instrument by employing drones in the lower strings to create that effect.

IV – Air
The fourth movement is not a dance, but an elegiac song. Echoing past works such as J. S. Bach’s Air on the G String, this fourth movement is sorrowful, but intensely beautiful. The only movement to be in a minor key, the poignant lyricism from Grieg shines through the tonality.

V – Rigaudon
The vivacious character of this dance makes for an ideal finale. Featuring soloists around the orchestra, the cheerful character of this movement is joyful, but polished in style. This movement encapsulates Grieg’s love for folk tunes and rustic composition, yet all within the polished elements of a baroque dance.

The Four Seasons Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
The Four Seasons are a series of four violin concertos possibly composed between 1718-1720 when Vivaldi was the court chapel master in Mantua. Inspired by landscape paintings by Italian artist Marco Ricci, they were a revolution in musical conception: in them Vivaldi represented flowing creeks, singing birds (of different species, each specifically characterized), a shepherd and his barking dog, buzzing flies, storms, drunken dancers, hunting parties from both the hunters’ and the prey’s point of view, frozen landscapes, and warm winter fires.

Unusual for the period, Vivaldi published the concerti with twelve accompanying sonnets (possibly written by the composer himself) that elucidated what it was in the spirit of each season that his music was intended to evoke. The concerti therefore stand as one of the earliest and most detailed examples of what would come to be called programme music – music with a narrative element. Vivaldi took great pains to relate his music to the texts of the poems, translating the poetic lines directly into the music on the page.

Spring (La primavera)
I. Allegro II. Largo e pianissimo sempre III. Allegro pastorale
Spring starts with the clarity and crispness of a typical spring day, accompanied by the choirs of birds and streams. It is invaded by a sudden thunderstorm, but the singing birds soon regain dominance. The movement ends with a lively country dance, with inhabitants celebrating the return of fauna and flora after a harsh winter.
Summer (L’estate).
I. Allegro non molto II. Adagio e piano – Presto e forte III. Presto
Summer offers a slow start, portraying the weather as too hot for any movement. The air is almost at a standstill, the birds chirping away lazily until a breeze gathers up, whipping the warning of an imminent storm. The most striking moment is served in the third movement, as a hailstorm mercilessly rains down, offering a perfect contrast.

Autumn (L’autunno)
I. Allegro II. Adagio molto III. Allegro
Autumn makes a return to the clarity of Spring, with similar musical themes in the first movement. The country- folk rejoice once again, celebrating the harvest by drinking wine. The tempo drops significantly, in parallel to the peaceful sleep that engulfs the people. The final movement illustrates a ‘hunt,’ taking us back to a 14th-century Italian genre, ‘Caccia’ – where songs were used to glorify hunts using counterpoint.

Winter (L’inverno)
I. Allegro non molto II. Largo III. Allegro
The opening movement resembles a shivering person, stamping his feet in rhythm to stay warm. The middle movement portrays the pleasure of getting warm inside in front of a crackling fire. The final movement suggests people outdoors walking down icy paths, while those inside feel the chill finding its way inside.

Marylebone Music Festival | Elgar Serenade with Sue Perkins
2023-06-25 14:00 - 15:00 (Europe/Zurich) | Manchester Square Gardens, 9 Manchester Square, London, W1U 3PL, United Kingdom
Serenade for String Orchestra in E minor Op.20 by Edward Elgar performed by the Orion Orchestra with Sue Perkins Conducting.
Free Event

Marylebone Music Festival | A Night at the Opera
2023-06-24 19:00 - 20:00 (Europe/Zurich) | Manchester Square Gardens, 9 Manchester Square, London, W1U 3PL, United Kingdom
Join us 7pm 24th June in Manchester Square Gardens, which is a beautiful private garden in the heart of London’s Marylebone Village. The Orion Symphony Orchestra conducted by Toby Purser will perform the greatest music from the Opera repertoire, sung by Soloists from the Royal Opera House you can enjoy beautiful Overtures, Arias, Duets and Quartets by Puccini, Mozart, Bizet, Verdi, Donezetti and many more, while in the magical setting of Manchester Square Gardens in front of the Wallace Collection Art Gallery.
After ‘A Night at the Opera’ continue the evenings festivities by joint us in the Wallace Collection Restaurant for the Marylebone Music Festival Banquet, which includes a three course dinner with wine.
Ellie Laugharne – Soprano
Clare Presland – Mezzo-Soprano
Jesus Leon – Tenor
Jacobo Ochoa – Baritone
Orion Symphony Orchestra
Toby Purser – Conductor

Marylebone Music Festival | Beethoven in the Gardens
2023-06-23 19:00 - 20:00 (Europe/Zurich) | Manchester Square Gardens, 9 Manchester Square, London, W1U 3PL, United Kingdom
Join the Marylebone Music Festival in a private Garden in the heart of Marylebone Village in London. Manchester Square Gardens in front of the Wallace Collection Art Gallery will host a wonderful performance of Beethoven’s Eroica
Orion Symphony Orchestra
Conductor – Nicholas Daniel

Marylebone Music Festival | Hans Zimmer VS John Williams
2023-06-22 19:00 - 20:30 (Europe/Zurich) | Manchester Square Gardens, 9 Manchester Square, London, W1U 3PL, United Kingdom
The Orion Symphony Orchestra perform award winning cinematic works from two master composers.
Pirates of the Carribean
The Dark Night Rises
Inception
The Da Vinci Code
Gladiator
Man of Steel
Batman Begins
vs.
E.T
Harry Potter
Jurassic Park
Close Encounters of The Third Kind
Star Wars
Superman
JAWS
Schindlers List
Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark
Superman
Catch me if you can
Andy Berryman – Conductor
Orion Symphony Orchestra

Antonio Vivaldi - Four Seasons | with String Infusion
2023-06-17 19:00 - 22:00 (Europe/Zurich) | The Common Room Newcastle, Neville Hall, The Common Room of the Great North Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE
Fans of classical music won’t want to miss out on this Candlelight concert celebrating one of Vivaldi’s greatest masterpieces, The Four Seasons. Rediscover the awe-inspiring depiction of spring, summer, autumn, and winter surrounded by the mesmerising glow of candlelight. A talented string quartet will be recreating the Venetian composer’s breathtaking violin concertos making for an unforgettable performance.
Izabela Stocka – 1st violin/ solo
String Quartet – String Infusion

Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra | Grieg, Faure and Vivaldi
2023-06-16 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | The Tower Theatre, Folkestone, CT20 3HL, United Kingdom

Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra | Grieg and Vivaldi
2023-06-15 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/Zurich) | Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 5EG, United Kingdom

Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra | Opera Gala
2023-04-29 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/Zurich) | Fishers Farm Theatre, Winsborough Green, Billingshurst, RH14 0EG, United Kingdom
Conductor: Marcio da Silva
Programme: tbc

Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra | Mozart & Haydn
2023-04-15 19:00 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Christ Church, St. Leonards-on-Sea, Silchester Rd, Saint Leonards-on-Sea, TN37 6GL, United Kingdom
In programme: Joseph Haydn – Te Deum, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Great Mass in C minor, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Bassoon Concerto in B-flat Major

Music by the Bridge: European Impressionism
2023-04-14 19:00 - 20:00 (Europe/Zurich) | All Saints Church Fulham, Putney Bridge Approach, London, SW6 3LA, United Kingdom
Violin – Izabela Stocka
Piano – Hanzhi Zhang
Repertoire to include works by Ysaye, Ravel, Debussy and Szymanowski.

Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra | Reinecke, Britten and Tchaikovsky
2023-03-29 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/Zurich) | White Rock Theatre, White Rock, Hastings, TN34 1JX, United Kingdom
Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra, orchestra in residence, return for their first concert of 2023 at the White Rock.Geisa Felipe – FluteMarcio da Silva – Conductor
REINECKE Flute ConcertoBRITTEN The Young Person’s Guide to the OrchestraTCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No.6

Orchestra for the Earth | Earth Hour 2023
2023-03-25 20:30 - 21:30 (Europe/Zurich) | Temple Church, Temple, London, EC4Y 7BB, United Kingdom
Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings by candlelight, raising funds for WWF.

Orchestra for the Earth | Keele Green Festival
2023-03-15 19:00 - 20:00 (Europe/Zurich) | Westminster Theatre, Keele University, Chancellor's Building, Newcastle-under-Lyme, ST5 5BG, United Kingdom
Music by Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss and Alban Berg. Organised by ArtsKeele

Izabela Stocka and Aryaman Natt: Lunchtime Recital
2023-02-20 13:00 - 14:00 (Europe/Zurich) | All Saints Church Kingston, 14-16 Market Pl, Kingston-upon-Thames, KT1 1JP, United Kingdom

Antonio Vivaldi - Four Seasons | with String Infusion
2023-02-11 18:00 - 19:00 (Europe/Zurich) | The Common Room Newcastle, Neville Hall, The Common Room of the Great North Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE
Izabela Stocka – soloist
Wei Ling – 2nd violin
Paula Bowes – Viola
Stefan Rogers – cello

London Film Music Orchestra: Moonlight Tour
2023-02-05 16:00 - 17:30 (Europe/Zurich) | Mahony Hall, The Helix, Collins Ave, Dublin, Ireland

London Film Music Orchestra: Moonlight Tour
2023-02-04 19:00 - 21:00 (Europe/Zurich) | Newry Town Hall, Bank Parade, Newry, BA2 4EU, Ireland

London Film Music Orchestra: Moonlight Tour
2023-02-03 20:00 - 21:30 (Europe/Zurich) | St Canice Cathedral, Coach Road, Kilkenny, R95 P8HP, Ireland

London Film Music Orchestra: Moonlight Tour
2023-02-02 18:30 - 20:00 (Europe/Zurich) | University Concert Hall, Foundation Building, Sreelane, Castletroy Co., Limerick, V94 PX58, Ireland

London Film Music Orchestra: Moonlight Tour
2023-02-01 18:30 - 20:00 (Europe/Zurich) | Leisureland, Salthill Road, Galway, BA2 4EU, Ireland

Antonio Vivaldi - Four Seasons | with String Infusion
2023-01-14 18:00 - 21:30 (Europe/Zurich) | Sheffield Cathedral, Church Street, Sheffield, S1 1HA, United Kingdom

London Film Music Orchestra: Christmas at the Movies
2022-12-23 18:00 - 19:30 (Europe/Zurich) | Charter Hall, Colchester, Colchester Leisure World, Cowdray Ave, Colchester, CO1 1YH, United Kingdom

London Film Music Orchestra: Christmas at the Movies
2022-12-21 17:00 - 21:30 (Europe/Zurich) | Holy Trinity Church, Folkestone, Sandgate Road, Folkestone, CT20 2HQ, United Kingdom

London Film Music Orchestra: Christmas tour
2022-12-18 20:00 - 21:30 (Europe/Zurich) | Sheldonian Theatre, Broad St, Oxford, OX1 3AZ, Oxford

London Film Music Orchestra: Moonlight Tour
2022-12-08 17:30 (Europe/Zurich) | Jubilee Central, 62 King Edward Street Kingston upon Hull HU1 3SQ, Hull

London Film Music Orchestra: Moonlight Tour
2022-12-03 15:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Zurich) | The Empire, 22 Hertford Street Coventry CV1 1LF, Coventry, United Kingdom

London Film Music Orchestra: Moonlight Tour
2022-11-06 16:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Zurich) | Cardiff Depot, Curran Embankment, CF10 5DY, Cardiff, United Kingdom
