Smith Square Hall, London, SW1P 3HA
Bartók Divertimento
Shostakovich Jazz Suite no. 2: Waltz 2
Porter I've Got You Under My Skin
Gershwin I Loves You Porgy
Gershwin But Not For Me
Rodgers and Hart My Funny Valentine
Shostakovich Jazz Suite no. 2: Lyric Waltz
Shostakovich Piano Concerto no. 1
With arrangements by Harry Baker
Fantasia Orchestra is joined by the legendary Steven Osborne, one of the country’s most celebrated pianists, for a concert that explores the dynamic worlds of classical music and jazz.
Osborne brings his love of both genres to the fore, performing Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 (for piano and trumpet soloists) alongside his favourite jazz standards, arranged specially for this programme.
We’re also joined by the brilliant trumpeter Aaron Azunda Akugbo, whose playing moves effortlessly from the mellow charm of Gershwin to the raw intensity of Shostakovich.
This programme is about the joy of crossing between boundaries, with inspiring musicians taking centre stage.
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Steven Osborne is one of Britain’s most treasured musicians with an immense depth of musicality and exceptional refinement of expression.
Steven Osborne OBE is one of Britain’s most treasured musicians with an immense depth of musicality and exceptional refinement of expression across diverse repertoire be it in Beethoven or Messiaen, Schubert or Ravel, Prokofiev or jazz improvisations. His numerous awards include The Royal Philharmonic Society Instrumentalist of the Year, two BBC Music Magazine Awards and two Gramophone Awards.
Born in Edinburgh, Nigerian–Scottish trumpeter Aaron Azunda Akugbo is developing a following as a leading exponent of his instrument.
Aaron Akugbo hails from Edinburgh and is poised as a future leading exponent of his instrument. He brings a wide-ranging musical taste to his artistry and despite being classically trained, cites Louis Armstrong as his biggest musical inspiration. He is a charismatic performer with an abundance of natural humour.
Tom is Fantasia's Conductor & Artistic Director.
Tom’s start in music was fortuitous, as he was lucky to be introduced to an inspiring violin teacher by his grandmother at the age of four.
At eight he became a chorister of Westminster Abbey, an experience he describes as ‘transformative’, benefitting from musical training that featured high profile occasions like singing the solo at the Royal Wedding in 2011. Tom then attended Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, a state comprehensive that champions music and the arts.
He continued with the violin, sang, played the organ, and started to explore conducting, enjoying the process of rehearsals and the ability both to make music with and to bring together large groups of people. It was in his final year at school that he saw the potential for a career in it, founding Fantasia Orchestra in 2016.
Tom now enjoys a busy career with major orchestras, including with the BBC Philharmonic and the National Symphony Orchestra Ireland. In his rare moments of downtime he enjoys running, listening to jazz, and cooking, likening the process to conducting — it being about balance, flavour, pacing and bringing people together.
Smith Square Hall, London, SW1P 3HA