Smith Square Hall, London, SW1P 3HA
Vivaldi (transc. Glennie) Concerto in C major
Schnelzer Apollonian Dances
Reich Different Trains
interval
Smadbeck Rhythm Song
Glennie A Little Prayer
Kate Bush Wuthering Heights
Gerassimez Piazonore
We open our 2026/27 Smith Square season with one of the world’s most extraordinary musicians: Dame Evelyn Glennie.
A pioneering solo percussionist, composer and musical communicator, Evelyn has transformed the way audiences think about sound, listening and performance. For this special season opener, she joins Fantasia Orchestra for a programme pulsing with rhythm, movement and imagination.
The concert moves from reimagined Vivaldi through percussion to Steve Reich’s landmark Different Trains. Alongside music by Albert Schnelzer, Ivan Trevino/Paul Smadbeck, and Evelyn Glennie herself, the programme also takes in Kate Bush’s iconic Wuthering Heights and Alexej Gerassimez’s virtuosic Piazonore.
From the elegance of Vivaldi to the restless momentum of Reich, this is a concert full of contrast, invention and irresistible energy: a thrilling way to begin our new season at Smith Square Hall.
Evelyn Glennie is the world's premier solo percussionist, a double GRAMMY winner, BAFTA nominee, and recipient of the Companion of Honour.
Dame Evelyn Glennie, who was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2007 New Year Honours List, is one of the best-known figures in contemporary British Music. An extraordinary virtuosic percussionist as well as an engaging personality, she has long been subject to considerable media interest.
Touring internationally as the world's first full-time percussion soloist she has played with all the world's major orchestras, consistently winning massive critical acclaim. Her twenty-five solo albums (including twelve on the RCA/BMG label) have reached a remarkably diverse public, as have her numerous collaborations with musicians from the non-classical world.
Tom is Fantasia's Conductor & Artistic Director.
Tom’s musical journey began aged four, when his grandmother introduced him to an inspiring violin teacher. At eight, he became a Westminster Abbey chorister, describing the experience as “transformative”, and later attended Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School.
Alongside violin, singing and organ, Tom discovered conducting and a love of bringing musicians together. In 2016, during his final year at school, he founded Fantasia Orchestra.
Today, Tom works with major orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic and National Symphony Orchestra Ireland. Away from music, he enjoys running, jazz and cooking, a process he likens to conducting through balance, pacing and collaboration.
Smith Square Hall, London, SW1P 3HA