If you do not fancy traipsing up to London for the BBC Proms, there is a worthy alternative right here on our doorstep.
The Oxford Proms season was launched last year to great acclaim, and returns to the Town Hall on Saturday for the first of two concerts, with the second following next Friday.
Once again, the Oxford Proms Orchestra will be joined by international soloists for some of the best-loved works of the classical repertoire alongside some rarely performed pieces. As before, the conductor will be John Traill, recently seen conducting the Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra at the Sheldonian Theatre, and also Director of Music at St Anne’s College.
On Saturday, pianist Mami Shikimori makes her second Oxford Proms appearance, playing Mozart’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.21 in C Major, and Ravel’s little-known arrangement of La Valse for solo piano.
Originally from Japan, Mami now lives in Abingdon, and after a busy few months playing in Denmark, North East England (as part of the Master Musicians Series) and at various UK festivals, she is delighted to be playing a little closer to home.
“The Mozart and Ravel are totally different,” she says. “The Mozart is a very spirited, happy piece, so different from the D Minor, which was composed just a few weeks before the No.21. The second movement is the tune that was used in the Swedish film Elvira Madigan, and has a very beautiful, sublime melody, almost tending towards romanticism, especially in the A Flat Major section.
“The Ravel is a challenging piece for the pianist. It’s famous as an orchestra piece, but the composer also arranged it for piano, so I’m playing the solo version.”
In the same concert, the Oxford Proms Orchestra will play Schubert’s Symphony No. 5 in B flat, and Rakastava, a rarely-performed Sibelius suite.
The second concert is an all-Beethoven affair, and features the Oxford Proms debut of violinist Masayuki Kino, currently soloist and leader of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. Masayuki will perform Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D. This will be paired with Beethoven’s glorious Symphony No.8.
The Oxford Proms are at the Town Hall on August 18 and August 24. Details on www.oxfordproms.co.uk
Box office: 01865 305305.
For more information about Mami, including her debut CD, visit www.mamishikimori.com
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