Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra: Prokofiev, Schumann, Berlioz

The YMSO returns to St. John’s Smith Square, kicking off its 2019/20 season in spectacular style. The concert opens with Berlioz’s Le Carnaval Romain, immersing the audience in the pandemonium of a typical Roman Carnival. The enduringly popular Overture uses themes from the composer’s first opera Benvenuto Cellini. Schumann’s Piano Concerto provides a poignant end to a varied first half. Over 10 years in the making, the piece went through several revisions (including a piano ‘Fantasy’ consisting of the first movement only) prior to its premiere in 1845. Soloist Dominic Doutney performs the piece that eventually inspired the piano concertos of both Grieg and Rachmaninov. The concert closes in typically dramatic fashion with a suite from Prokofiev’s Shakespearean ballet masterpiece Romeo and Juliet.

Now in its 49th year, The Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1971 as a training organization to bridge the gap between college life and the profession for orchestral musicians aged 18-25. YMSO’s mission is to equip musicians with the tools required by their future employers, providing a platform for them to maintain and develop their skills. Our players come from all over the UK.

Programme

Berlioz Le Carnaval Romain
Schumann Piano Concerto in A minor Op. 54
Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet Suite Op. 64