Chineke! Orchestra

Jonathon Heyward  Conductor
Sheku Kanneh-Mason  Cello

Josephe Boulougne (Chevalier de Saint-Georges)  Overture, L'Amant anonyme
Haydn  Cello Concerto No 1 in C major
Elgar  Serenade for Strings in E minor Op 20
Mozart  Symphony No 29 in A major K201

Few ensembles are as exciting as the Chineke! Orchestra, and it's not just for the brilliance of its playing. Established to provide opportunities for the cream of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) talent, it is quite literally changing the face of classical music by drawing on the artistry of exceptional BME musicians from throughout Europe.

Dynamic young conductor Jonathon Heywood kicks off with a joyous overture by the first notable composer of African ancestry, the Guadalupean Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745–99). The sensational cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who caused a huge stir as BBC Young Musician 2016 and recently performed at the BAFTA Film Awards 2017, performs Haydn’s elegant First Cello Concerto, before the programme climaxes with the breezy geniality of beloved pieces by Elgar and Mozart.