Open Rehearsal: Dvořák Violin Concerto with James Ehnes

The evening

Dvořák’s radiant Violin Concerto takes centre stage in an evening of bold colour and orchestral brilliance.

Violinist James Ehnes, a long-standing collaborator with the Philharmonia, brings his ‘unquestionable virtuosity’ (Bachtrack) to Violin Concerto – a work rich in lyricism, rhythmic vitality and folk-inspired energy, crowned by its exhilarating finale.

The programme unfolds as a vivid showcase of Central European imagination. Dora Pejačević’s Concert Overture opens the evening with sweeping drama and flair, a striking introduction to a composer whose voice is increasingly being rediscovered.

In Scherzo Fantastique, Josef Suk conjures a whirlwind of shimmering textures and restless energy, music that sparkles with fantasy and emotional depth.

The concert culminates in the blazing brilliance of Sinfonietta by Leoš Janáček. With its triumphant brass fanfares and exhilarating rhythms, this modernist masterpiece is both a celebration of national identity and a thrilling orchestral spectacle.