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The KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra presents its World Symphony Series from 16 February – 22 March in the Durban City Hall.

Soulful Synthesis on 23 February offers an imaginatively conceived musical excursion in which pre-eminent soprano Sivan Rotem will perform Alban Berg’s Seven Early Songs, following an orchestral Suite of music by JS Bach arranged by Gustav Mahler. Beethoven’s exuberant Symphony No. 8 will round off the evening’s musical fare.

The third concert of the season offers an evening of music making loosely styled as Pianistic Poetry, the prize-winning soloist Alexander Lubyantsev, performs Chopin’s much-loved Piano Concerto No. 1. His account of this show-stopping warhorse will be followed after interval by Schumann’s powerful Symphony No. 2. This concert sees Yasuo Shinozaki’s welcome return to the KZN Philharmonic podium.

Winding Paths on 8 March sees the popular Japanese conductor taking his second bow of the season, with Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3 preluding a performance of Richard Strauss’s Oboe Concerto by the orchestra’s principal oboist, Alison Lowell (photo). Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony rounds off this engaging programme.

Well-known South African pianist, Malcolm Nay, makes his second appearance with the Orchestra for a performance of Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in the penultimate concert of the season, performing under the baton of the young American conductor, Daniel Boico, whose short-notice debut here during the Spring of 2011 was accorded wide acclaim. 

The evening’s fascinating programme, entitled Classical Spirit, opens with a performance of Mozart’s turbulent Symphony No. 25, one of the great Austrian composer’s most dramatic early works, used to great effect in the film Amadeus, and closes with a rendering of the teen-aged Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 5.

Written in 1816, Schubert’s supremely beautiful early work, while fully imbued with his own unique creative life-force, movingly suggests the composer’s sense of homage to the profound influence of Mozart and Haydn a generation earlier.

Symphonic Dances on 22 March will celebrate a rigorous resurgence of Russian repertoire to bring the curtain down on a memorable season of music making. Daniel Boico will conduct performances of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio espagnol, Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3, and Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances. This final concert of the season will re-introduce the KZN Philharmonic’s audience to the rising young international virtuoso pianist, Pallavi Mahidhara, who comes to Durban fresh from performances at the 2011 Marlboro Music Festival.

You stand a chance of winning a season ticket to these exciting concerts by sending an email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with KZNPO in the subject line.

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Entries close on 22 February.