BBC Hoddinott Hall 2014-15 Afternoon With Thomas Søndergård by Sibelius, Grieg, From (2014/2014), Conductor Thomas Søndergård, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, United Kingdom

Following his acclaimed performance of Sibelius 5 at the BBC Proms in 2014, the Orchestra’s Principal Conductor Thomas Søndergård brings two more of Sibelius’s symphonies to Cardiff, in a special afternoon concert recorded for BBC Radio 3. In both Sibelius’ first and sixth symphonies, the wistful romanticism for his homeland of Finland is paired with a defiant nationalism, depicted through the sheer energy of the music. In between, we skip across to Norway – as young pianist Christian Ihle Hadland performs the ever-popular piano concerto by fellow Norwegian Edvard Grieg.