‘The complete performer…with the ability to convey a spiritual seriousness that nonetheless does not exclude an utter charm.’ The Times on Angela Hewitt

Concluding its season at Kings Place, Aurora Orchestra celebrates women pioneers past and present in the company of pianist Angela Hewitt and cellist Natalie Clein.

One of the world’s most celebrated pianists, Angela Hewitt makes her debut with the orchestra in Mozart’s effervescent Piano Concerto No. 22, bringing her illuminating and thoughtful artistry to this radiant work.

Louise Farrenc was a towering figure in the musical landscape of 19th-century France, achieving the distinction of being the first female Professor of Piano at the Paris Conservatoire (where she successfully fought for equal pay with her male counterparts). Yet despite being admired by such luminaries as Berlioz and Schumann, Farrenc’s music was relatively unknown after her death, and has only recently begin to enjoy the prominence it deserves.

Farrenc’s early fight for equal opportunities symbolised a wider struggle for female professional recognition. In this programme, Aurora sparks a dialogue across the centuries between her overlooked Third Symphony – muscular, ambitious and expressive – and a new work for cello and strings by Charlotte Bray, commissioned to mark the centenary of the landmark legislation paving the way for women to enter professional life in the UK.

Visit the free exhibition about The First 100 Years Project complementing this concert

Listen to the free Pre-Concert Talk featuring Charlotte Bray, Dana Denis-Smith and Duncan Ward with Helen Wallace

Book this evening’s late-night concert Lock-In: La Boulangerie

Charlotte Bray’s new work is commissioned by the First 100 Years to mark the centenary of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919.

The performance of Louise Farrenc’s Symphony No. 3 is made possible with funding from the ABO Trust’s Sirens programme, a ten-year initiative to support the performance and promotion of music by historical women composers.