Southbank Sinfonia: Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony

PART OF OUR ‘NATURAL WORLD’ SERIES

Dancing country folk, bird song, a dramatic storm, even a cuckoo – Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony is a perfect fit for our Natural World theme. Inspired by the composer’s love of nature, this symphony is both bucolic and powerfully dramatic, depicting the natural world in all its rage and beauty.

What better ensemble to realise a piece that many of us know very well than Southbank Sinfonia? This orchestra, which regenerates with new musicians every year, is formed of the brightest and best young professional musicians of their generation – bringing a fresh take on things and imbuing a thrill of discovery to even the most familiar of music.

Preview the music with our Spotify playlist:

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Each year, Southbank Sinfonia welcomes 33 of the world’s most promising emerging musicians to embark on its renowned Fellowship. The orchestra was founded in 2002 by Music Director Simon Over to provide graduate musicians with a much-needed springboard into the profession. More than just an orchestra, this is a community where young talents can find their own creative strengths, fulfil personal goals, make lasting contacts, and take their musicianship to new frontiers.

Alongside unparalleled opportunities to gain crucial experience in orchestral repertoire, chamber music, opera, dance and theatre, Southbank Sinfonia celebrates how intrepid young players can have a uniquely important voice in the sector, shaping the future of their art form. Whether in Rush Hour Concerts, the hit production of Amadeus at the National Theatre, or through collaborations with the Royal Opera House, Sadler’s Wells or trail blazing guest artists, Southbank Sinfonia’s musicians bring fresh resonance to the stage.

To date, over 600 musicians have completed the programme and can be found worldwide in leading orchestras and acclaimed chamber ensembles, as inspiring music educators, and pioneering their own entrepreneurial musical ventures. Most recently, the orchestra has merged with world renowned venue St John’s Smith Square. As one new charity, Southbank Sinfonia at St John’s Smith Square creates a hub for world-class musical development, placing emerging talent at the heart of the organisation. It offers a permanent home for a renowned orchestral Fellowship programme and acts as a beacon for the future of classical music, embracing versatility and innovation in everything from great symphonies to bold new musical adventures.