Shabaka Hutchings, Britten Sinfonia

Explore the chameleon-like nature of the clarinet with Shabaka Hutchings and revel in Aaron Copland’s joyful slice of Americana, Appalachian Spring.

A central member of the new London jazz scene, clarinettist, saxophonist and composer Hutchings blurs the lines between jazz and classical music in Copland’s Clarinet Concerto, written for the legendary ‘King of Swing’ Benny Goodman. Reflecting further on the jazz idiom, he takes on Igor Stravinsky’s 3 Pieces For Clarinet Solo, then continues this theme in real time with a short solo clarinet improvisation.

Britten Sinfonia will also perform Copland’s musical portrait of 19th century pioneers, which brings together traditional Shaker melodies with his quintessentially American sound in one of classical music’s most-loved pieces.