2019 at the Usher Hall sees the return of its Sunday Classics season, a highlight in the classical music calendar every year. The venue will host orchestras from all over the world as part of the concert series, kicking off in October with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Yuri Simonov and featuring soloist Alexandra Dariescu on piano.
Global superstar guitarist Miloš Karadaglić is set to headline with the Flanders Symphony Orchestra in what promises to be a kaleidoscopic concert conjuring the rich colours and intoxicating perfumes of Spain.
The final Sunday Classics concert of 2019 sees the Prague Symphony Orchestra with soloist Ester Pavlů. They will perform Mahler’s Symphony No.3, a gargantuan celebration of the natural world set to round off the season’s 2019 offerings in style.
Several of Scotland’s leading orchestras also take to the Usher Hall stage this Autumn for some very special concerts. Thomas Søndergård will conduct an ear-tingling, heart pounding opening to the RSNO season featuring Mahler’s Symphony N0.1 and Strauss’ Don Juan. This year sees Søndergård’s second season leading the RSNO and after the success of last year it will be one not to be missed.
Ukranian virtuoso Vadym Kholodenko peforms his take on the ‘Everest of piano concertos’ in October as he performs Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.3, sure to be a standout performance.
This December, the RSNO also presents the first performance of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, featuring Alan Cumming. This all-new concert version of The Nutcracker combines Tchaikovsky’s music and the words of the great German storyteller ETA Hoffmann to bring the adventure magically to life.
Edinburgh’s very own Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) also have a big presence in the Hall’s Autumn season.
The SCO season begins with the 2019 International Classical Music Awards ‘Artist of the Year’ Javier Perianes, who is performing Brahms’ First Piano Concerto, one of the great romantic pillars of classical music, conducted by François Leleux.
In October the SCO present a full programme of Mozart, including his iconic Requiem, a celebration of the life and work of Mozart, up to the profound symphony left unfinished at the time of his death. This will certainly be a concert to remember for years to come. They will also present the iconic Beethoven’s Symphonies No. 2,4 and 5, conducted by Andrew Manze.
Thomas Dausgaard commands the opening performance of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra’s (BBCSSO) 2019 season here at the Usher Hall. The orchestra will perform Mahler’s classic Symphony No. 5.
As always, the Usher Hall supports up and coming talent with our Emerging Artists concerts, in collaboration with the Live Music Now. In December Christmas comes to the Usher Hall early as New Antonine Brass join us for a programme with a hint of festivities and whole lot of talent.
On 30th September and 9th December, join City Organist John Kitchen for his popular lunchtime concerts on the world-renowned Usher Hall organ with its magnificent sound. Whether performing organ classics, adapting classical and other music or playing audience requests, John’s inimitable performances and conversation will delight.
The Usher Hall, opened in 1914, is Scotland’s only 5 Star concert hall and is well loved by performers and audiences all over the world due to its magnificent acoustics. It’s the city’s key venue for visiting national and international orchestras and has been the main venue for the Edinburgh International Festival since 1947, hosting legendary artists such as composers Benjamin Britten and Dmitri Shostakovich, contralto singer Kathleen Ferrier and cellist Jacqueline Du Pre to name but a few.
Listings Information
SCO: Leleux conducts Brahms and Dvořák
Tickets: £37 | £30 | £24.50 | £18 and £12.50
7.30pm, Thursday 26th September 2019
Beethoven Overture, Egmont (9’)
Dvořák Symphony No 7 (35’)
Brahms Piano Concerto No 1 (44’)
Francois Leleux – Conductor
Javier Perianes – Piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra: Mahler Symphony No. 5
3pm, Sunday 29th September 2019
Tickets: £30.00 | £25.00 | £20.00 | £15.00
Toshio Hosokawa – Preludio
Bruch – Violin Concerto No.1
Mahler – Symphony No.5
Thomas Dausgaard – Conductor
Emerging Artists – Barbara Cole Walton and Alina Mészöly-Horváth
11am, Monday 30th September 2019
Tickets: £3
Alina Meszoly-Horvath
Barbara Cole Walton
RSNO Season Opener: Strauss & Mahler One
7.30pm, Friday 4th October 2019
Tickets: £42 | £32.50 | £24.50 | £19 | £13
Conductor – Thomas Søndergård
Mezzo-Soprano – Karen Cargill
R Strauss – Don Juan
Berg – Seven Early Songs
Mahler – Symphony No1 Titan
SCO: Mozart’s Requiem
7.30pm, Thursday 10th October 2019
Tickets: £37 | £30 | £24.50 | £18 and £12.50
Mozart – Symphony No 1 in E-flat, K16 (13’)
Mozart – Adagio and Fugue in C minor, K546 (9’)
Mozart – Masonic Funeral Music, K477 (6’)
Mozart – Requiem in D minor, K626 (Süssmayr Edition) (55’)
Conductor – Klaus Mäkelä
Soprano – Simone Kermes
Mezzo-Soprano – Hanna Hipp
Tenor – Markus Brutscher
Tass – Markus Suihkonen
RSNO Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No3
7.30pm, Friday 11th October 2019
Tickets: £42 | £32.50 | £24.50 | £19 | £13
Conductor – Thomas Søndergård
Piano – Vadym Kholodenko
Bax – In the Faery Hills
Shostakovich – Symphony No9
Rachmaninov – Piano Concerto No3
Sunday Classics: Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
3pm, Sunday 13th October 2019
Tickets: £35 | £29 | £24 | £18 | £13.50
Tchaikovsky – Romeo & Juliet
Rachmaninov – Piano Concerto No. 2
Shostakovich – Symphony No. 10
Conductor – Yuri Simonov
Soloists – Alexandra Dariescu (piano)
RSNO Shostakovich Ten
7.30pm, Friday 18th October 2019
Tickets: £42 | £32.50 | £24.50 | £19 | £13
Elim Chan – Conductor
Martin Grubinger – Percussion
Kalevi Aho – Siedi (Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra)
Shostakovich – Symphony No.10
Sunday Classics: Flanders Symphony Orchestra
7.30pm, Sunday 27th October 2019
Tickets: £35 | £29 | £24 | £18 | £13.50
Rossini – Barber of Seville Overture
Rodrigo – Guitar Concerto Aranjuez
Villa Lobos – 3 preludes for solo guitar
De Falla – El Amor Brujo Ballet Suite
Bizet – Carmen Suite
Conductor – Jose Luis Gomez
Soloist – Milos Karadaglic (guitar)
Ludovico Einaudi
8pm, Tuesday 29th October 2019
Tickets: £65.45, £54.45 and £38.50
RSNO Saint Saëns’ Organ Symphony
7.30pm, Friday 1st November 2019
Tickets: £42 | £32.50 | £24.50 | £19 | £13
Neeme Järvi – Conductor
Sarah Connolly – Mezzo-Soprano
Reger – Serenade
Reger – An die Hoffnung
Saint-Saëns’ – Symphony No2 Organ
RSNO The Lark Ascending
7.30pm, Friday 8th November 2019
Tickets: £42 | £32.50 | £24.50 | £19 | £13
Conductor – Martin Yates
Violin – Sharon Roffman
Soprano – Ilona Domnich
RSNO Chorus
Director, RSNO Chorus – Gregory Batsleer
Vaughan Williams – Overture to The Wasps
Vaughan Williams – The Lark Ascending
Stavinsky – Firebird Suite
Ravel – Pavane pour une infant défunte
Vaughan Williams – The Future World Premiere
Sunday Classics: Prague Symphony Orchestra
3pm, Sunday 10th November 2019
Tickets: £35 | £29 | £24 | £18 | £13.50
Mahler – Symphony No. 3
Conductor – Pietari Inkinen
Soloist – Ester Pavlů (alto)
SCO: Beethoven Symphonies Nos 1 and 3 ‘Eroica’
7.30pm, Thursday 21st November 2019
Tickets: £37 | £30 | £24.50 | £18 and £12.50
Beethoven Symphony No 1 (26’)
Beethoven Symphony No 3 ‘Eroica’ (47’)
Conductor – Emmanuel Krivine
RSNO Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique
7.30pm, Friday 22nd November 2019
Tickets: £42 | £32.50 | £24.50 | £19 | £13
Conductor – Thomas Søndergård
Piano – Steven Osborne
Schreker – Nachtstück from Der ferne Klang
Mozart – Piano Concerto No27 K595
Tchaikovsky – Symphony No6 Pathétique
Worbey and Farrell – Masquerade
7.30pm, Thursday 28th November 2019
Tickets: £27 | £21 | £17
RSNO at the Movies: Danny Elfman Gala
7.30pm, Friday 29th November 2019
Tickets: £49 | £42 | £35 | £27 | £19
Conductor – John Mauceri
Violin – Sandy Cameron
RSNO Chorus
Director, RSNO Chorus – Gregory Batsleer
RSNO The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
7.30pm, Friday 6th December 2019
Tickets: £42 | £32.50 | £24.50 | £19 | £13
Conductor – John Mauceri
Narrator – Alan Cumming
Tchaikovsky – Dance of the Tumblers from The Snow Maiden
Tchaikovsky (arr Mauceri) – Suite from The Sleeping Beauty
Prokofiev – Extracts from Cinderella
Tchaikovsky/Mauceri – The Nutcracker and the Mouse King World Premiere
Emerging Artists – New Antonine Brass
11am, Monday 9th December 2019
Tickets: £3
SCO: Beethoven Symphonies Nos 2, 4 and 5
7.30pm, Thursday 12th December 2019
Tickets: £37 | £30 | £24.50 | £18 and £12.50
Beethoven – Symphony No 2 (32’)
Beethoven – Symphony No 4 (34’)
Beethoven – Symphony No 5 (31’)
Conductor – Andrew Manze
RSNO Nicola Benedetti in Concert
7.30pm, Friday 13th December 2019
Tickets: £42 | £32.50 | £24.50 | £19 | £13
Conductor – Christian Reif
Violin – Nicola Benedetti
Shostakovich – Festive Overture
Bartók – Violin Concerto No2
Mussorgsky (orch Ravel) – Pictures at an Exhibition
Usher Hall Classical autumn 2019