91Èȱ¬

Violinist Aleksey Semenenko, one of the leading Ukrainian musicians of his generation, joins 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic Chief Conductor, Omer Meir Wellber, for this afternoon’s live broadcast.

Shostakovich’s darkly coloured First Violin Concerto, dedicated to and first performed by the celebrated violinist David Oistrakh, was composed under the restrictions of the Soviet Regime but suppressed until after Stalin’s death. Emotional and physical, the concerto makes huge demands on the soloist.

We also hear Ben-Haim's 1940 Symphony No.1 – a work performed earlier this year when Omer made his Proms debut as the 91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic's Chief Conductor.

It wasn’t the only debut of the evening; the music of the German-born Israeli composer had never been heard before at the Proms and we are pleased to introduce it to our studio audience this afternoon. An emotive musical statement at a time of international conflict, this symphony is both powerful and colourful in its impact.