BRAHMS
SAINT-SAËNS
NIELSEN
Sat 11 November 2023, 7:30pm
Thornden Hall Arts Centre, Chandlers Ford
Conductor: John Traill
Piano: Thomas Luke
Brahms - Tragic Overture
Saint-Saëns - Piano Concerto no. 2
Nielsen - Symphony no. 2 "The Four Temperaments"
Join the City of Southampton Orchestra for a captivating evening of classical music featuring three remarkable compositions by Johannes Brahms, Camille Saint-Saëns, and Carl Nielsen.
The concert begins with Brahms' Tragic Overture, a powerful and introspective piece that captures the depths of human emotions. Following that, Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 takes centre stage, showcasing virtuosity and grandeur in a thrilling display of piano mastery. Our soloist - Thomas Luke - was the keyboard category winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2020 competition, and has been widely recognised for his exceptional musicality and depth of interpretation.
After the interval, Nielsen's Symphony No. 2, "The Four Temperaments," offers an exploration of distinct human personalities through inventive orchestration and evocative melodies.
Experience the range of human emotions through these remarkable works, from brooding melancholy to passionate triumph, in an unforgettable musical journey.
Thomas Luke
Widely praised for his exceptional musicality and depth of interpretation, Thomas Luke is an award-winning pianist whose performances have been broadcast on national television and radio.
Thomas was the keyboard category winner of the prestigious BBC Young Musician 2020 competition. With a multitude of accolades to his name, he has been awarded first place in the Iris Dyer Piano Prize at the Junior Royal Academy of Music and has been recognised by the Vienna International Music Competition for possessing "outstanding talent, a remarkable musicality and a very accomplished technique".
With recent performances at venues such as London's Wigmore Hall, Thomas performs regularly as a recital and concerto soloist, as well as enjoying a busy chamber music schedule. 2023 has seen him collaborate with Steinway and Sons UK, performing the very first Steinway Spiriocast between two UK institutions, and later this year he looks forward to recording his debut solo album.
Born on the Isle of Wight, Thomas began piano lessons at the age of four before continuing his studies with Eleanor Hodgkinson at the Junior Royal Academy of Music in London at the age of twelve. In 2022, he won a full scholarship to study at London’s illustrious Royal College of Music, where he is now a Margaret Mount Scholar supported by a Leverhulme Arts Scholarship, studying piano with Vanessa Latarche.
