Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra Society

Saturday 7 November 2026

Glazunov’s The Seasons and Britten’s Piano Concerto

• Overture: Cockaigne (In London Town) — Elgar
• Piano Concerto in D — Britten (2026 marks the 50th anniversary of Britten’s death.)
• The Seasons — Glazunov

Featuring: Arthur Kokerai, piano

We open the season in brilliant British style: Elgar’s exuberant portrait of Edwardian London sets the scene, before Britten’s vivid, brilliantly scored Piano Concerto—written with virtuoso sparkle and sharp-edged drama. Glazunov’s shimmering The Seasons rounds off the evening with a richly coloured journey through the year.

Saturday 16 January 2027

Symphonic Worlds: Brahms’ Second and Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole

• Overture: Fidelio — Beethoven (2027 marks the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s death.)
• Symphonie espagnole for violin and orchestra — Lalo
• Symphony No. 2 in D — Brahms

Featuring: Mathilde Milwidsky, violin; Paul Ingram, guest conductor

A concert of high drama and sweeping symphonic breadth: Beethoven’s Fidelio Overture launches the night with urgency and triumph, followed by Lalo’s dazzling showpiece—part concerto, part symphony—for violin and orchestra. Brahms’s Second Symphony crowns the programme with warmth, grandeur and radiant lyricism.

Saturday 20 March 2027

Rachmaninov’s Third Symphony

• Symphonic poem: The Wild Dove — Dvořák
• Harp Concertino — Germaine Tailleferre
• Symphony No. 3 in A minor — Rachmaninov

Featuring: Heather Brooks, harp

From Bohemian storytelling to late-Romantic intensity, this programme explores music at its most evocative. Dvořák’s The Wild Dove tells a dark and tragic tale in sound, while Germaine Tailleferre’s sparkling Concertino brings French wit and elegance to centre stage. Rachmaninov’s Third Symphony closes with soaring melodies and dark, sumptuous orchestral colour.

Saturday 15 May 2027

From Forest to Frontier- Der Freischütz, Stanford and Ives

• Overture: Der Freischütz — Weber
• Over the Hills and Far Away — Delius
• Cello Concerto — Stanford
• Symphony No. 2 — Ives

Soloist – Gemma Rosefield

A springtime programme full of character and contrast: Weber’s thrilling overture bursts with Romantic fire, and Delius follows with a pastoral miniature of luminous calm. Stanford’s lyrical Cello Concerto offers warmth and nobility, before Ives’s Symphony No. 2 brings an exuberant finale—playful, nostalgic and boldly original.

Saturday 3^rd July 2027

Summer Serenade

Our midsummer celebration is a light-filled evening of miniatures, melodies and dance. From Phyllis Tate’s London scenes to Chaminade’s charming flute showpiece, the programme sparkles with colour and nostalgia, including much-loved favourites from Grainger and Grieg as well as some balmy Latin colour and rhythm from Marquez. A joyful close brings island-inspired music and toe-tapping finales perfect for a summer night.

• Suite – London Fields – Phyllis Tate
• Flute Concertino in D – Cécile Chaminade
• Three Pieces by Percy Grainger
  • Country Gardens, Blythe Bells & Shepherds Hey
• A Phantasy – The Three Bears – Coates
• Danzon Number 2 – Arturo Marques
• A Peer Gynt Suite – Greig
• Boniface Down – T. Duncan
• Suite – Masquerade – Khachaturian