CHESTER PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA LAUNCHES NEW SEASON WITH CATHEDRAL CONCERT

Chester Philharmonic Orchestra is set to be joined by a member of the talented Kanneh-Mason family as it stages the first concert of its new season in the historic surroundings of Chester Cathedral.

The concert, on Saturday 14^th November at 7.30pm will feature Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E Minor when the orchestra will be joined by special guest soloist Braimah Kanneh-Mason and conductor Bedwyn Lloyd Phillips.

Alongside Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto, the concert will also include two much-loved and popular pieces - Finlandia by Jean Sibelius and Symphony No.2 by Sergei Rachmaninov. 

Conceived in 1838 and completed in 1844, Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor was written for Ferdinand David who heavily influenced its composition. It received its premiere in 1845 with David performing the violin solo. The concerto was well received and came to be highly regarded as one of the foremost concertos of the Romantic era. Today, it remains extremely popular and is widely performed by soloists and orchestras worldwide. 

Joining the orchestra to perform the concerto, Braimah Kanneh-Mason is the second eldest of the famous Kanneh-Mason siblings. One of the most dynamic violinists of his generation, Braimah has performed throughout the UK, Europe, USA and Australia as a soloist and as a chamber musician. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, he has performed at venues and festivals including London’s Wigmore Hall and Barbican Hall, Melbourne Symphony Hall, Verbier Festival and Highgate International Chamber Music Festival and has collaborated with artists including Nicola Benedetti and with orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

In 2024 Braimah appeared in two concerts at the BBC Proms with his brother Sheku, Brazilian guitarist Plinio Fernandés and the Fantasia Orchestra, conducted by Tom Featherstonhaugh. Braimah is a passionate advocate for equal opportunity and diversity in music education and is a Cultural Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda and a Junior Ambassador for Music in Secondary Schools Trust.

The guest conductor for the special concert, Bedwyn Lloyd Philips is Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Welsh Philharmonic Orchestra, and Principal Conductor of the Shropshire Chamber Orchestra. Bedwyn is quickly gaining a reputation as an energised, focused, and passionate conductor. Bedwyn is also a Guest Conductor of Wrexham Symphony Orchestra, and enjoys working with many other orchestras, including Chester Philharmonic, Blackburn Symphony, and Wirral Symphony Orchestras. 

Speaking about the orchestra's first concert of its new season, Diana Anderson, Chair of Chester Philharmonic Orchestra said:

"We’re delighted to present this special concert at Chester Cathedral to launch our new season. It promises to be an evening of some of the greatest music of the Romantic era. At the heart of the programme is Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, performed by the brilliant Braimah Kanneh-Mason. From its unforgettable opening, where the solo violin enters almost immediately, Mendelssohn’s concerto is a work full of energy, elegance and emotion, balancing dazzling virtuosity with some of the most beautiful lyrical writing in the violin repertoire.

Alongside the Mendelssohn, our guest conductor Bedwyn Lloyd Phillips leads the orchestra through two other great Romantic works. From the stirring power of Finlandia, through Mendelssohn’s youthful brilliance, to the sweeping melodies and rich orchestral colours of Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony, this is a programme that promises plenty of drama, beauty and emotion."

Full details of Chester Philharmonic Orchestra's first concert of its 2026/27 season can be found at:

www.chesterphilorchestra.co.uk 

...where tickets can be booked online.

Tickets can also be booked in person at the Chester Cathedral Box Office.