Celebrate the start of a new year with Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra

The concert starts at 2.45pm on December 31.

Soprano Rebecca Bottone is one of the most versatile performers on the operatic stage today.

It has been said that she gets her charisma from her father, the tenor Bonaventura Bottone, but her chameleon ability is entirely her own.

Her character roles have been highly acclaimed in performances at the Royal Opera House and with the Welsh National Opera.

On New Year’s Eve she appears as herself when she joins the BPO at the Dome to add glamour to a very Viennese celebration.

Her programme includes two numbers from operettas by Franz Lehár: ‘Love Live Forever’, a rapturous tribute to love itself from Paganni, and ‘Vilja’, a bewitching song from The Merry Widow in which the wealthy widow regales her guests with a story of unrequited love.

The orchestra will welcome in 2017 with a feast of popular orchestral favourites from that golden age of Viennese light music just before the First World War – a programme of lively and nostalgic music from the repertoire of the Strauss family and its contemporaries. Johann Strauss II captured the light-hearted approach to life favoured by the Viennese of his day more than anyone else.

With gems like the Emperor Waltz he established himself as ‘The Waltz King’, while the Pizzicato and Tritsch-Tratsch polkas display his equal mastery of the infectious dance rhythm that swept across Europe at the time.

Conductor Stephen Bell also brings to the party some classics of early 20th century light music. The Mayfair Waltz by Eric Coates and Westminster Waltz by Robert Farnon give a London twist to this ever-popular dance form.

Both composers are better known for their music for film and radio. With such a varied programme on offer, why not join the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra on Sunday afternoon to welcome in the New Year with style?

Tickets from 01273 709709 or www.brightondome.org.

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be among the first to know what’s going on.

1 Make our website your homepage

2 Like our Facebook page

3 Follow us on Twitter

4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!

Be part of it.