de Havilland Philharmonic Orchestra Final Concert of Season
This June, the University of Hertfordshire’s resident orchestra, the de Havilland Philharmonic Orchestra (dHPO) will celebrate summer by exploring ‘Musical Transformations’. Hosted by UH Arts + Culture, the Orchestra’s final concert of the season will commemorate the 150th anniversary of Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninov’s birth in 1873 with a performance of The Isle of the Dead, as well as delving into classic works by Saint-Saëns, Mussorgsky, and Strauss.
The Orchestra has enjoyed over 50 years of success and brings together over 80 classical musicians who perform a wide musical repertoire under the leadership of their dynamic conductor, Robin Browning.
Inna Allen, Acting Head of UH Arts + Culture, says: ‘We are delighted to mark the anniversary of Rachmaninov’s birth and end our season with this beautiful concert exploring transformations. We can’t wait to welcome people to the Weston Auditorium to enjoy this magnificent live performance by the University’s talented resident orchestra.’
The concert begins with a performance of Rachmaninov’s The Isle of the Dead, a beautiful musical interpretation of the painting by Arnold Böcklin which is thought to be the transformation of souls as they cross the River Styx to the afterlife.
This is followed by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre and Russian composer Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky’s Night on the Bare Mountain, both of which depict nightly transformations in music as spirits come out to dance and then recede at the approach of dawn.
German composer Richard Strauss’ Death and Transfiguration closes the concert with one of his tone poems and a sumptuous musical portrayal of the death of an artist and his ultimate transformation through the heavenly reaches of transfiguration.
The concert will be the final repertoire performed by the dHPO this season and will take place on 18 June at 4pm at the 450-seater Weston Auditorium on the de Havilland campus at the University of Hertfordshire.
The new concert season will commence in October with more information about the repertoire released soon.
Tickets are available from the website: www.uharts.co.uk or by calling the Box Office 01707 281 127 (open Mon-Fri 10am-12noon).
Book tickets HERE. Parking is FREE on Saturdays and Sundays.