Usher in the festive season with this joyful all-Mozart programme, featuring two of the UK’s finest young soloists Sophie Bevan, Tom Poster and readings by Samuel West.

‘Before dinner he raced through my concerto. He played the first movement prestissimo, the Andante allegro, and the Rondeau truly prestississimo. The bass he played mostly quite different from the way it was written, and once in a while he came up with entirely different harmonies and melodies.’

Mozart’s typically colourful letter to his father from 1778, details his indignation at being forced to perform his 8th concerto with an untalented rich Patron, Herr Vogler, at the keyboard. No such problems will be faced under this performance with long-time collaborator Tom Poster, who also shares the stage with one of the UK’s finest sopranos, Sophie Bevan, for one of Mozart’s most sublime works Ch’io mi scordi di te?

Sam West draws the programme together with readings from Mozart’s letters, looking at the context around the works, and providing rich insight into the composer’s extraordinary life.

Pre-concert film screening: 4.30pm, St Panrcas Room
Narrated by Juliet Stevenson and with Mozart voiced by Samuel West, In Search of Mozart is a meticulously-crafted exploration of Mozart’s life, letters and music. Phil Grabsky’s acclaimed film features interviews and performances with over seventy of the greatest exponents of Mozart’s music including Christophe Rousset, Sir Roger Norrington, René Jacobs, Sir Charles Mackerras, Renée Fleming, Magdalena Kožená, Sandrine Piau, Ian Bostridge, Gerald Finley, Sir Thomas Allen, Imogen Cooper, Pierre Laurent Aimard, Leif ove Andsnes, Lang Lang and the Škampa Quartet.

‘No more important, or beautifully-filmed documentary about Mozart’s life and music has emerged than Phil Grabsky’s In Search of Mozart.’ Chicago Tribune

Find out more about the highlights of the 2017 season in our podcast featuring Aurora’s Principal Conductor Nicholas Collon.