Northern Chamber Orchestra Heritage Centre Season

Leading lights, violinist Jennifer Pike and pianists Stephen Hough and Ian Fountain are amongst a line-up of top soloists for NCO’s new Macclesfield concert season

The Northern Chamber Orchestra brings its winning blend of top soloists and arresting concert programming to Macclesfield Heritage Centre for a stunning new season – starting Saturday 11 October at 7.30pm.  The series will feature big names such as cellist Raphael Wallfisch, soprano Elizabeth Watts, oboist Nicholas Daniel, pianists Stephen Hough and Ian Fountain and Stockport-born violinist, Jennifer Pike – one of the most exciting young artists performing today.  There is local interest for the December concert, as King’s School Choir from Macclesfield joins the ‘party’.  Two of the concerts will feature the work of distinguished, contemporary British composers; December sees the NCO give a world premiere performance of Altrincham-based Anthony Gilbert’sTriptych, while a month before, on 1 November, the orchestra will give only the third ever performance of Arthur Butterworth’s beautifully-moving tribute to his late wife, Elegy for Diana.  With all that, along with gorgeous music by wonderful composers from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods, as well as 20^th century greats – it’s a mouth-watering prospect for all classical music lovers across Cheshire.

Jonathan Thackeray, NCO General Manager said: “Our last season of concerts was hugely successful and we’re thrilled that the range of music and the quality of the soloists for the new series, starting in October, is just as impressive.  We’re thrilled that Stephen Hough will be making his first appearance with us, and we’re looking forward to welcoming back other soloists, such as Jennifer Pike, who has been a firm favourite with Macclesfield audiences since she first performed with NCO as a thirteen year-old – a year after becoming the (then) youngest ever winner of the BBC Young Musician competition, back in 2002.”

The NCO starts its new season with its Fate, Myth and Masterpieces concert on Saturday 11 October, when Raphael Wallfisch will perform Elgar’s elegiac, contemplative Cello Concerto – one of the great works for this magnificent instrument.  Schubert’s Symphony no 3 starts slowly, then builds to an invigorating tempo.  The myth of The Creatures of Prometheus is the subject for the Overture of Beethoven’s stirring ballet music, while Delius takes us on a rhapsodic walk with his doomed, operatic lovers in Walk to the Paradise Gardens.

Raphael Wallfisch (photo by Benjamin Ealovega)

For the second series running, NCO’s Macclesfield concert season has been sponsored by Manchester Metropolitan University’s Faculty of Education.  This sponsorship has helped the orchestra to continue to develop exciting and engaging programmes for its Cheshire audiences and to work with soloists of genuinely international repute. Professor Jan Green, Deputy Dean for the Faculty of Education, said: “As a leading UK centre for educational study and research, the Faculty of Education is proud to sponsor the excellent NCO concerts as well as its important outreach work in local schools and communities.”

Tickets for all NCO’s concerts at Macclesfield Heritage Centre are available from the NCO Box Office: 0161 247 2220; from Macclesfield Visitor Information Centre, 01625 378123; from the Silk Museum Shop at the Heritage Centre and On the Door: priced £16 Auditorium, £13 Balcony, £7 students, 18s & under FREE.  Buying Part or Full Season Tickets will save you money: book upfront for all 8 concerts and get one FREE; book for 4 or more concerts upfront and get £1 off each concert.  www.ncorch.co.uk

For full details and to book tickets, contact NCO on Tel: 0161 247 2220.