Southbank Sinfonia in 2017

Simon Over and the Southbank Sinfonia

The Southbank Sinfonia is 15 this year and to celebrate the orchestra is throwing party at the Royal Festival Hall on 17 May when Benjamin Grosvenor will be the soloist in Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and the orchestra will be joined by Parliament Choir and Barts Choral Society for Walton's Rhapsody in Blue conducted by Simon Over. The orchestra provides graduate musicians with a springboard into the profession; each year 33 young players come together for nine-months to gain important experience.

The orchestra is busy this year with performances of Peter Schaffer's Amadeus at the National Theatre, but you can also catch them performing at the free rush-hour concert series on Thursdays at St John's Church, Waterloo. There are 15 rush-hour concerts this year, starting tonight with Salieri's Overture from ‘Il mondo alla rovescia’, Mozart's Symphony No.31 ‘Paris’ and Schubert's Symphony No. 2 conducted by Simon Over.

Other delights include Korngold's Violin Concerto with violinist Georgia Hannant and conductor Rebecca Miller, Brahms' Symphony No. 4 conducted by David Corkhill, Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 (without a conductor), music by Alex Roth, Caroline Shaw, David Bruce, David Heath, Pierre Jalbert, Michael Nyman, and even a couple of Baroque programmes.

Full listings from the Southbank Sinfonia website.