Charlie Lovell-Jones returns to Medina Theatre in Newport on 16 May with the Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra for a programme that builds from Berlioz through Finzi to Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1, closing with Sibelius's First Symphony. It is a substantial evening of romantic orchestral music with a soloist who has the technique and the temperament to make the Bruch concerto work without sentimentality, and the orchestra's track record with this repertoire is strong.
IWSO uses Medina Theatre as its main performance venue, and the hall suits the orchestra well. The Bruch G minor concerto is beloved for good reason: it is emotionally direct, technically demanding, and built around the violin in a way that makes the relationship between soloist and orchestra feel like a conversation rather than a competition. Lovell-Jones is a specific talent with the kind of warmth in the Bruch that the piece requires. Sibelius's First closes a programme that earns its length.
Tickets via iwso.co.uk. Suitable for all ages with an interest in orchestral music. More music events on the Isle of Wight across the spring season.
