17 May 2008 at 7.30pm

Ronan O’Hora (piano)

Conductor: Brian Wright

Walton – Spitfire Prelude & Fugue

Tchaikovsky – Piano Concerto No.1

Shostakovitch – Symphony No.10

A truly grand MSO finale

Maidstone Symphony Orchestra, Mote Hall

ONE week, it's Madonna in Maidstone, the next •••

Nobody could complain about our musical diversity, as conductor Brian Wright pointed out, but this really was a performance rather than a self-centred half hour plug for a CD.

MSO has distinguished itself throughout the season with some marvellous playing and this was a truly grand finale before the summer break.

Walton's Spitfire Prelude and Fugue was the appetiser, its strong Elgarian flavour particularly appropriate to this tribute to the famous plane (not the beer).

Ronan O'Hora is quite a favourite here and his rendition of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No 1 was full of fire and brilliance; no suggestion of going through the motions simply because it is so well known and the roof-­lifting applause started almost before the last note had faded away.

That was no easy act to follow, but MSO's performance of Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony was a triumph. The Russian composer is not everyone's shot of vodka, but his wide-ranging use of the orchestra stretches the best of them. On that basis, we must now rank MSO among the best of them. Great night - great season.

AB

Click here to listen to a clip.

Ronan O’Hora studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Ryszard Bakst.  He has been a piano professor at the Royal Northern College of Music and Chethams School of Music. He regularly gives masterclasses and sits on competition juries throughout the world. Ronan O'Hora has been Head of Keyboard Studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama since 1999.