Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO)

With a reputation for engaging performances and a peerless rapport with her audience, British violinist Tasmin Little returns to Nottingham with arguably the most testing concerto of all.

Sibelius was a gifted violinist and his dramatic concerto is full of virtuosic thrills and spills. Framing Sibelius's concerto are two colourful overtures.

Berlioz's Roman Carnival Overture is a vivacious portrait of Italian revelry, whilst Ambroise Thomas's overture to Raymond is as swashbuckling as you could wish. In Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, the heroic struggle is fought out in the most dramatic music of his age, from the fateful four notes that hammer out the opening, to the blazingly uplifting finale.