Heroic. Dazzling. Witness musical game-changers.

Who’s on stage

A very special guest, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason, part of the incredible musical family that is the Kanneh-Mason’s, along with our very own Royal Northern Sinfonia and conductor Dinis Sousa.

What they’re playing

Three pretty mighty pieces of music, including Ludwig van Beethoven’s ‘Eroica’ (‘Heroic’) Symphony and Clara (wife of composer Robert) Schumann’s Piano Concerto.

Heroic. Quite the nickname for a piece of music. And totally justified in the case of Beethoven’s Symphony No.3. Bigger, longer and very different to anything that had come before. It was a musical game-changer that challenged not just its audience but the musicians playing it too. Prepare for a wild journey of emotional extremes.

Beethoven’s music inspired Robert Schumann’s unfinished Zwickau symphony, named after his home town. Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto is a bold statement, with a passionate, sweeping ending that’s the perfect way to end the first half of the concert.

Robert and Clara Schumann were a musical powerhouse. Clara was a child superstar on the piano and became one of the most famous musicians of her time. She was tutored by her father who later took on a student named…Robert. Despite the 9 year age gap, the disapproval of her father and his very best efforts to keep them apart they eventually married. While Robert was mainly known as a composer and Clara as a pianist, she did also compose, and her music has had a bit of a renaissance lately, with hopefully 21st century attitudes towards female composers being a bit more enlightened than those of the 19th century.