The Solent Music Festival opens on Monday 25 May with an evening of string orchestra repertoire spanning three centuries. The concert begins with Mozart’s beloved Eine kleine Nachtmusik, before Festival Director Sam Haywood takes to the 1832 Erard piano to direct Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major from the keyboard – reflecting the work’s original chamber music character.

The programme continues with Peter Warlock’s Capriol Suite, a twentieth-century gem that reimagines Renaissance dance tunes with wit and charm. Dominiká Fehér will then conduct Benjamin Britten’s Simple Symphony, a sparkling work crafted from themes the composer wrote as a teenager. Its inclusion marks the 50th anniversary of Britten’s death in December 1976, bringing youthful energy and a timely tribute to one of Britain’s greatest composers.

Programme

MOZART Eine kleine Nachtmusik
MOZART Piano Concerto K.414 in A major

Interval

WARLOCK Capriol Suite
BRITTEN Simple Symphony 

Sam Haywood, piano
Dominiká Fehér, conductor
SMF Orchestra