Rory Macdonald conducts Dvořák

A cello cries out in sorrow, the woodwinds sigh, and like mist on an autumn river, a quiet melody drifts into the evening sky. Some pieces are classics for a reason, and Elgar’s Cello Concerto is one of those works that touches everyone’s soul – just as Dvořák’s Symphony No.9, 'From the New World' channels a nostalgia that seems to speak to listeners of all times and all nationalities (just don’t mention the Hovis advert!).

The hallmark of a true classic is that it always has something new to say, and that’ll certainly be the case when the award-winning young cellist Kian Soltani – whose performance at the 2015 BBC Proms was described by the London Evening Standard as “superlative” – offers his perspective on Elgar’s uniquely British masterpiece.

And with Rory Macdonald conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis will open the evening in a vision of timeless beauty.