Premiere of Geoffrey Gordon's Prometheus

Gustave Moreau: Prometheus

This weekend the Philharmonia, conductor Martyn Brabbins, will be giving the premiere of composer Geoffrey Gordon's new concerto for bass clarinet, Prometheus, with clarinettist Laurent Ben Slimane (principal bass clarinet with the orchestra). They perform the work on Saturday 19 January 2019 at De Montfort Hall in Leicester [see the De Montfort Hall website for details] and at the Southbank Centre on Sunday 20 January 2019 [see the Southbank Centre website for details]. The concert also includes three classic English works, Elgar's Introduction and Allegro, RVW's Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis and Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra.

Gordon is an American composer who divides his time between the USA and the UK, and his work Fathoms received its UK premiere at St John's Smith Square in 2017, whilst his concerto for trumpet, piano and strings, Saint Blue was recorded by the English String Orchestra, conductor Kenneth Woods on the Signum Classics disc The Art of Dancing [see my review]. Gordon's Prometheus is based on Kafka's short story Prometheus based in turn in the Greek myth. There is a Q&A with Laurent Ben Slimane about the new work on the Philharmonia website.

Further ahead, horn player Ben Goldschneider will be giving the premiere of Gordon's Thorn at Conway Hall Sunday Concerts on Sunday 3 February 2019 with Calum Smart, violin, and Richard Uttley, piano.. [see the Conway Hall website for details]