Pianist tunes up for opening of conductor’s 10th anniversary season

It is four years since Yuki Negishi last played with the Scarborough Orchestra to much acclaim and since then she has been in demand as a soloist around the world.

"I am delighted to return to Scarborough to perform this timelessly beautiful and joyful concerto, one of the first piano concertos that I heard as a seven-year-old,” said Yuki. “It’s an honour to open Shaun Matthew’s anniversary season with the wonderful musicians of this orchestra."

Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 21, nicknamed Elvira Madigan after the Swedish film title of the 1960s in which it was featured, is a deeply reflective work showcasing the pianist’s expressive talents.

It also provides the perfect balance to a first half of the programme that focuses on the dilemma of humanity in Charles Ives’s The Unanswered Question and, as we mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, Andjrez Panufnik’s A Procession for Peace, an impassioned plea which he dedicated to all peace-loving people.

The second half of the concert features Schubert’s well-known Rosamunde overture and Respighi’s wonderful arrangements of Rossini’s delightful Ballet Suite La Boutique Fantasque, which will close the concert with a flourish.

The concert is at Scarborough’s Methodist Central Hall in Queen Street, on Saturday, November 21, at 7.30pm. There is an optional free talk about the music beforehand at 6.45pm. Free parking is available.

Admission is £11, £9.50 for concessions. Children up to 16 and full-time students are free.

Tickets can be purchased direct from Scarborough Music, The Art Cafe in Whitby, as well as through the orchestra website or at the door on the night.

A special offer season ticket covering all four of this season’s concerts can be purchased in advance for just £35 (£30 for concessions). See scarborough-orchestra.co.uk or phone 01751 471409 for details.