Britten Sinfonia

Wagner Siegfried Idyll
Hummell Trumpet Concerto
Arvo Pärt Fratres
Beethoven Symphony No. 1

Britten Sinfonia’s Principal Trumpet Imogen Whitehead is the soloist in Hummel’s beloved concerto, written in 1803 for Viennese virtuoso Anton Weidinger.

Hummel’s career spanned the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras, represented here by his friend Beethoven’s sparkling first symphony, and by Wagner’s extraordinary, beautiful “symphonic birthday greeting” for his wife, Cosima, which premiered on Christmas Day 1870.

As part of Britten Sinfonia’s celebrations of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt’s 90^th birthday, we’ll hear a rarely performed version for wind octect of one of his most celebrated works, the sombre and haunting Fratres. The piece has featured in more than a dozen films, including The Place Beyond the Pines and There Will Be Blood.

Praise for Britten Sinfonia’s Messiah (2023):

‘…outstanding solos from trumpeter Imogen Whitehead were the icing on the Christmas cake.’ (The i newspaper)