The London Symphony: Haydn, Ravel and Greenwood by Greenwood, Jonny, Ravel, Haydn, ol. 02 ira. 2022, Noiztik (2022/2022), Zuzendaria Christian Kluxen, KulturHuset, Tromsø, Norway

This year we open the autumn season with the Father of the Symphony, Joseph Haydn, and his last symphony together with star pianist Vikingur Ólafsson in Ravel’s piano concerto and music by Jonny Greenwood, a rock guitarist with one foot in the world of classical music. Jonny Greenwood is the guitarist in the world-famous band Radiohead, and he has composed the opening work of this concert, Water. After several successful commissions as a film composer, he was invited to be composer in residence with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in 2012. This collaboration led to, amongst other things, to this work. Joseph Haydn had a similar experience, when he in 1790 was invited to compose 12 symphonies for a series of concerts at The King’s Theatre in London. The last one of these is his well-known symphony no. 104, the London Symphony, which you will hear performed by the symphony orchestra and chief conductor Christian Kluxen. In this concert you will hear Ravel’s piano concerto with the Icelandic star pianist Vikingur Ólafsson who has received great reviews around the world and been praised by The New York Times, The Daily Telegraph, Gramophone and the BBC Music Magazine. Haydn’s last symphony wasn’t only the last symphony for his audiences in London, but it was the last symphony he ever wrote. The premiere of this symphony was very well received by the Londoners. Ravel composed his piano concerto for a grand world tour, with himself as the soloist. He practised intensively, but a neurological disease made a lot of trouble for him, so someone else had to step in. The piano concerto was after all received exceptionally well around the whole world.