The Grand Finale

Written for, and inspired by, his friend, the legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, Shostakovich’s First Cello Concerto is notoriously difficult to perform, so it took an enormous amount of bravery and skill for Sheku Kanneh-Mason to perform it at age 17 in the BBC Young Musician Competition—but he did, and he won. Since then, this brilliant young cellist has taken the world by storm, winning soloist gigs with major orchestras around the world, performing at Britain’s beloved Proms, even playing at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding. Discover “a player who makes you tune in to every nuance of articulation, every subtle shading, every eloquent turn of phrase” (The Times, London). 

Three symphonies that are linked to Mozart are performed on this program. Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, was a contemporary of Mozart’s; his vivacious Second Symphony is a jewel-like example of the early Classical form. Saint-Georges gained fame as a violinist, composer, conductor, and fencer. Prokofiev’s First Symphony, known as the “Classical,” was his own modern re-interpretation of musical classicism, specifically the works of Mozart and Haydn. And Mozart’s own “Haffner” Symphony is fiery and forceful, culminating in a dazzling finale.