Page 251 - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Coverage Book 2023-24

25 April 2024

A virtuosic and generous-hearted new piano

concerto, plus the best of April’s classical

concerts

Pianist Alim Beisembayev and the ever-enterprising RLPO fully rose to the challenges of Eleanor
Alberga’s brand-new, ideas-packed piece
Ivan Hewett26 April 2024 • 10:34am

Alim Beisembayev and the RLPO give the premiere of Eleanor Alberga's piano concerto CREDIT:
Gareth Jones

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonic Hall,

Liverpool ★★★★☆

As the funding climate for classical music becomes ever bleaker, so the temptation for regional
orchestras (and London ones, come to that) is to play safe. Much to its credit, the RLPO under its
newish chief conductor Domingo Hindoyan is deftly resisting the pressure, combining sure-fire
audience pleasers with new works and forgotten masterpieces. Its own new-music orchestra
Ensemble 10:10 is still going strong, commissioning national as well as local composers and
programming the modernist masters such as Harrison Birtwistle that the musical world is in
danger of forgetting.