1 Allegro Vivo
3 Allegro Vivo

Eugene Bozza is well known to brass players for his many etudes and test pieces. In fact, Bozza wrote more chamber music for brass and woodwind that almost anyone else. Born in Nice to a violinist father, young Eugene began his musical tuition aged five and was soon performing violin alongside his dad in various casino orchestras. After a brief spell in Rome, the family returned to France and Bozza began the first of three periods of study at the Paris conservatoire. Each stint led to him winning the Premier Prix, first in violin, then conducting and finally in composition. In 1950 he became director of music at the École National de Musique and held this position for 25 years writing most of his chamber works for his 100s of students. The Sonatine was written in 1951. It is fun to play and dazzling to listen to.

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Nicknamed ‘the father of the French violin’ Jean-Marie Leclair actually began his performing life as a dancer in Turin. It was there that he was immersed in Italian music and saw that the violin, then an unpopular instrument in his home country of France, was so much more than merely part of the orchestra. When his dancing career ended he returned to France and dedicated his life to teaching, composing for and promoting the violin. This is the first in a set of six sonatas for two violins all of which feature dance styles and rhythms. The two parts are treated as equals with the melodies switching position frequently. Today Leclair is perhaps best known however for his mysterious death. He was murdered and despite extensive investigation and several likely suspects, the crime remains unsolved.

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Paquito D’Rivera is a hugely famous Cuban-American saxophonist, clarinettist and band leader. His signature traits are a smooth saxophone tone and the ability to seamlessly combine the worlds of jazz, Latin, classical and Cuban music. Born in Havana, Cuba, he grew up around music. His father was a classical saxophonist who taught his son from the age of five. By 1965, Paquito was performing in the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra and just 8 years later he founded an ensemble of his own. By 1980, depressed about the political system in Cuba he defected to America and after releasing two albums to huge critical acclaim, he became a star in his new hometown of New York City. Aires Tropicales is a seven movement suite from 1994. Each movement is in a different Latin style and is dedicated to a South American musician. Today we will hear Vals Venezolano, a waltz dedicated to Antonio Lauro and Contredanza, an upbeat Cuban dance dedicated to Ernesto Lecuona.

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Gioachino Rossini was born in Pesaro to a family of musicians. His dad was a horn-playing slaughterhouse inspector and his mum, a singer. Rossini completed 40 operas, mostly in his distinctive bubbly, energetic style. At the peak of his fame and aged just 37, Rossini retired from music and only returned to composing very briefly in old age. He then led a lavish and notorious life full of parties and food and even became as known for his cooking as for his music – several famous Italian dishes are named after him. This is arguably his most famous piece. It began life as the overture to an opera about a Swiss legend but found a second life on TV and in film often accompanying images of horses racing.

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The Guildhall School’s Orchestral Artistry programme is an exciting professional specialism for advanced instrumentalists seeking a career in orchestral playing, delivered in association with the LSO. It offers a course of study which is both highly distinctive and ground-breaking in scope, in a context akin to a professional environment.

The two-year Masters programme focuses on orchestral training and repertoire, as well as audition preparation, practical training in education and community-based programmes, and early career support. LSO musicians share their knowledge and experience with the next generation of gifted orchestral players, while students gain confidence and a detailed understanding of what is required at the highest level of the profession as they build their careers.

Today's Performers

Heron Brass

Tom Watts trumpet
Sam Balchin trumpet
Dan Hibbert horn
Sam Cox trombone
Ramon Branch Biescas tuba

Violin Duet

Yuno Akiyama violin
Pak Ho Hong violin

Percussion Solo

Bryony Che percussion

Amilo Quintet

Hania Wozniak flute
Lidia Moscoso Bernal oboe
Niamh Rodgers horn
Beñat Erro Díez clarinet
Aidan Campbell bassoon