BBC SSO: Stravinsky's Firebird

BBC SSO: Stravinsky’s Firebird

Zakir Hussain              Triple Concerto for Tabla, Sitar and Bansuri  (c.28 mins)
Interval
Rachmaninov               Isle of the Dead (c.20 mins)
Stravinsky                     The Firebird (1919 Suite) (c.23 mins)

Niladri Kumar               sitar
Rakesh Chaurasia      bansuri
Alpesh Chauhan         conductor
Fazal Qureshi               tabla

Imagine this. An intoxicating combination of eastern and western traditions creates musical magic.

When different musical cultures meet, a new kind of harmony is born. “Mesmerising” was how one critic described the new Triple Concerto by Zakir Hussain when Alpesh Chauhan conducted its first British performances in 2023, and Zakir Hussain himself described it as a tale of love, tradition and the transforming power of art. It’s perfect for Chauhan, a conductor with a real flair for finding the heart and soul of a piece of music, and he follows it with two dark fairytales from Romantic Russia – Rachmaninov’s surprisingly passionate journey into night, and Stravinsky’s exhilarating Firebird. Those glowing melodies, those dazzling cascades of colour…they’ll burn even more brightly tonight.

Update: The BBC SSO are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of legendary tabla virtuoso, Zakir Hussain. Heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends and fans across the globe.

The BBC SSO are hugely honoured that Zakir’s brother and tabla player, Fazal Qureshi, will perform as soloist in this concert. Hussain described his composition as “a tale of love, tradition, and the transforming power of art”, and this performance will be a heartfelt celebration of Zakir’s life and music.

The concert programme remains as originally advertised.

£6 tickets are available for Students, Under 26s and Unemployed (Price Band C & D).