Orchestra Of Opera North, Sofya Gulyak

To celebrate the Bernstein centenary, we close this year’s Kirklees Concert Season with a concert of American music, including his iconic Symphonic Dances from the ground-breaking, award-winning musical West Side Story.

Gershwin’s epic Rhapsody in Blue needs no introduction; it serves to fuse jazz and classical elements showcasing the versatility of the Orchestra, soloist Sofya Gulyak (2009 Leeds International Piano Competition winner) and Finnish conductor Dalia Stasevska. John Adams’

The Chairman Dances follows. Taken from his opera Nixon in China, the piece is also known as Foxtrot for Orchestra and it’s easy to understand why given its rhythmic drive. The concert concludes with Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances.

Written while he was in New York, this colourful composition is a wonderful way to mark the close of this year’s Kirklees Concert Season.