Chamber Orchestra Hosts Triumphant Performance

Students prepare for the Shostakovich symphony

The Great Hall was awash with the sound of sizzling strings and balletic brass on Sunday evening, as the King’s Chamber Orchestra kicks off its 2016/17 season.

One student told Roar that it was “like watching euphoria in motion”. The concert left the audience impressed and enthused in equal measure.

The evening featured renowned performers such as Naomi Watson who, among numerous other accolades, has led the Oxford University Orchestra and won the Anna Haxworth prize for instrumental performance.

Violeta Barrena, the orchestra’s leader for the evening, has been playing the violin since the age of four and has performed at various prestigious institutions such as The Royal Albert Hall and Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club.

Johann Stuckenbruck, the conductor, music director and founder of the chamber orchestra completed his undergraduate degree at King’s and has been heavily involved with the university since, building the reputation of what is now considered one of the best youth orchestras in the city.

The concert consisted of two early-20th century pieces beginning with Sibelius and his Violin Concerto in D minor, with the orchestra and the soloist characteristically jostling for control in the final movement. Shostakovich’s symphony No.5 was played after the interval to raucous applause and huge enthusiasm from the audience.

Breathless. The final movement of the violin concerto.

The orchestra will be holding more events throughout the year. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates, as well as their official website for details, you wouldn’t want to miss it!

Photography credit: Nikhil Kanukuntla