Page 35 - Liverpool Philharmonic 22-23 Season Coverage Book

The Royal Festival Hall by Morley von Sternberg

But what about the music? The continued relevance and deep human spirit of

classical music is immediately apparent, with seasons responding to the turbulence
of world events. The Ukraine crisis and the issue of refugees, exile and war will be

explored by the London Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony and Bavarian State
Opera, while the climate emergency and natural world will be addressed with a

nature theme from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Then, a positive
melange of modern emergencies will be explored by the Lyric Opera of Chicago,
whose triptych ‘Proximity’ will unite six American composers and librettists to explore

themes of gun violence, social media and climate change. These season plans
underline the continued role classical music plays in helping us come to terms with

the world around us. Contrary to the connotations of the word ‘classic’, ‘classical’
doesn’t have to mean old.

There’s a clear and welcome growth in presence of composers from diverse
backgrounds. Opera North will unite singers and players from South Asian and

Western Classical traditions in a staging of Monteverdi’s Orpheus, while the Royal
Scottish National Orchestra present a triple focus on William Levi Dawson, William

Grant Still and George Walker, thanks to their Assistant Conductor Kellen Gray. The
Detroit Symphony Orchestra host a powerful showcase of music from 2020 Pulitzer