Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra returns to White Rock Theatre

The concert, conducted by Marcio da Silva and featuring violin soloist​​ Fenella Humphreys, is on Tuesday, July 1 at 7.30pm​​​​ with tickets on https://whiterocktheatre.org.uk/whats-on/event/hpo-summer-concert-sheherazade-2025/ Marcio said: “We are delighted to maintain our tradition of holding regular orchestral concerts at the White Rock Theatre, where HPO is the orchestra in residence. ​​​​

“Our concert programme opens with Adrian Sutton's atmospheric violin concerto. Sutton is best-known for his score for the worldwide theatre hit War Horse. Fittingly perhaps for Hastings, he was inspired to compose this concerto having observed a flight of gulls –

the sea is present in the headings given to each movement. ​“We are thrilled to welcome the immensely talented international soloist Fenella Humphreys to perform with us. Sutton's violin concerto was written for Fenella in 2023 and premiered with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at London's Southbank Centre. The Chandos recording including this concerto won the BBC Music Magazine's 2025 Premiere award. “Fenella has attracted critical admiration and audience acclaim with the grace and intensity of her remarkable performances. With her playing described in the press as “alluring”, “unforgettable” and “a wonder”, Fenella is one of the UK’s most established and versatile violinists. She enjoys a busy career combining chamber music with solo work, performing in the most prestigious venues around the world and is frequently broadcast on the BBC, Classic FM, Scala Radio and international radio stations.

​“Our programme also includes Rimsky-Korsakov's dazzling suite, Scheherazade. It is an example of the late 19th-century taste for programme music – music with a story to tell – and was inspired by the collection of largely Middle Eastern and Indian tales known as The Thousand and One Nights (or The Arabian Nights). It evokes an image of Scheherazade (Shahrazad), the young wife of the Sultan Schahriar (Shahryar), telling tales to her husband to forestall his plan to kill her. Colourful and highly varied in mood, the work has a recurring violin solo that represents Scheherazade herself and a deep, ponderous theme that corresponds to the sultan. It premiered in November 1888 of that year, in Saint Petersburg with the composer himself conducting.”

Fenella enjoys a busy career combining chamber music with solo work, performing in the most prestigious venues around the world and is frequently broadcast on the BBC, Classic FM, Scala Radio and international radio stations.

Fenella performs widely as a soloist. Her recent album of Sibelius’ solo works with BBC National Orchestra of Wales and George Vass has been featured in BBC Radio 3’s Building a Library, Gramophone Magazine’s Guide to the Concerto, and was Album of the Week on Scala Radio.