YMSO returns to Cadogan Hall for its first concert of 2025 with a varied programme of music that showcases the full spectrum of orchestral colour.

The concert opens in a jovial fashion with Otto Nicolai’s ever-popular overture to his opera The Merry Wives of Windsor. Next, the Orchestra welcomes back to Cadogan the virtuosic pianist Misha Kaploukhii, this time to perform Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2.

The second half begins with a gem of orchestral writing by Giacomo Puccini, his Preludio sinfonico, and finally, listeners are transported to the heart of ancient Rome’s most lavish and vibrant celebrations in Respighi’s exhilarating tone poem, Roman Festivals. The piece is the third and final part of his ‘Roman Trilogy’, and is arguably the most intense and dramatic of the three. Written in 1928, it showcases the composer’s masterful orchestration and his ability to evoke vivid imagery through music.

The Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra (YMSO) is the only symphony orchestra in the UK dedicated to providing free orchestral training, performance experience and professional development opportunities to musicians on the threshold of their professional careers.