Vaughan WilliamsFive Variants on Dives & Lazarus Cosma Euphonium Concerto WagnerRienzi Overture TchaikovskySwan Lake Suite Conductors -Davide Trolton , Chris Binns Everyone will know Swan Lake . A lot of people will know Dives & Lazarus which consistently rides high in the top 100 Classic FM Hall of Fame. However, we think not many will know the concerto. A neglected instrument in the classical genre, but tonights soloist will change minds about the euphonium and open ears to an accessible tuneful composer originally from Romania who has spent much of his professional life in France and the USA. Vladimir Cosma is an award-winning writer of over 300 film and TV scores in addition to his output for the concert platform and his concerto has become a stand-out work for euphonium players across the world.

Mozart Symphony No 38 Strauss Horn concerto No 1 Beethoven Symphony No 7 Conductor - Euan Shields Horn - Annemarie Federle A joyous work, Wagner described Beethovens seventh symphony as the apotheosis of the dance; dance in its most exalted form. Tonight we welcome to the SSO Euan Shields to conduct this exhilarating work and Mozarts Prague Symphony alongside the Strauss Horn Concerto with Annemarie Federle. We are delighted to be introducing two musicians to Stockport on stellar career paths. Annemarie Federle, is well on the way to becoming a star among the worlds French horn players. In 2020 she was a finalist in the BBC Young Musician Competition. Three years later, still at the Royal Academy of Music, and just 20, she was appointed Principal Horn of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and is now also principal with the Aurora Orchestra and performing with many of the major UK orchestras, as well as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich. Raised in Japan and the USA, in 2023, Euan Shields captured global attention by winning the prestigious Siemens Hall International Conducting Competition and is now in his second season as assistant conductor at the Halle.

SibeliusFinlandia Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto SibeliusKarelia Suite Stravinsky The Firebird Conductor -Robert Guy Violin - Jennifer Pike A spectacular end to our 2025/6 season of dance-inspired programmes. Some rousing Finnish music opens both halves of the concert. After Finlandia, we are delighted to welcome back to Stockport Town Hall the fabulous Jennifer Pike with the ever-popular Tchaikovsky concerto which she first played with the SSO in 2018. Time flies! In the second half, after Karelia, we bring you the dance feature. And what a feature to close the season! Stravinsky's Firebird premiered at Diaghilev's Ballet Russe in Paris in 1910 and propelled the composer to instant fame and success. Diaghilev is said to have remarked in rehearsal "Mark him well, he is a man on the eve of celebrity ". And so it proved. Firebird may not have prompted the alleged riots which accompanied his Rite of Spring a few years later but it led directly to his commissions for that ballet and for Petrushka , propelling him to the forefront of the musical world and cementing his place as one of the giants of 20th century music.

Gather to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year as G4 bring glad tidings of great joy this festive season, with the return of their ‘G4 Christmas’ tour in the most awe-inspiring cathedrals, priories, minsters, halls and abbeys across the UK. Step into G4's world of vocal enchantment, as they take you on a breathtaking musical journey with beautifully-blended voices, within an idyllic sacred setting. Ignite your Christmas spirit with a sprinkling of G4’s yuletide magic. Nourish your soul with their extraordinary and unique renditions of traditional carols, sacred contemplations, classical favourites and modern festive hits including Silent Night, O Holy Night, All I Want for Christmas, Walking in the Air, When a Child is Born and The 12 Days of Christmas. With mesmerising harmonies and impeccable showmanship it’s no wonder this hotly-anticipated tour sells out year after year, where the guys leave you with chills of delight and a heart full of Christmas cheer. After the show you’ll dash, dance and prance your holly jolly way all the way home, having no doubt experienced something more precious than gold, frankincense and myrrh!