Orchestra ships in Steinway specially for guest pianist at spring concert

He will be performing Beethoven’s 5th Piano Concerto The Emperor at the event at the Royal Hall, Harrogate, on Saturday March 16 at 7.30pm.

Fox is regarded by many as one of the most notable British pianists of his generation.

He has rapidly established an exciting career as a soloist, chamber musician and recording artist, having performed at concerts, competitions and chamber music festivals throughout Europe and the USA.

A graduate of the Royal College of Music, Harry has won numerous prizes for his playing and in 2016 signed a recording deal with KNS Classical.

Of the Beethoven concerto Harry said: "Beethoven’s Emperor is one of my favourite works for piano and orchestra along with Rachmaninoff’s 2nd concerto and Chopin’s 1st. I first learned and performed this piece back in 2007 whilst a student at the Royal College of Music and have played it twice since then.

"This being his last piano concerto it was bridging the gap between the Classical and Romantic periods of music and could be seen as the last classical piano concerto, or perhaps the first romantic one.

"While demanding technically, I feel the music is always the priority and is accessible for every ear to understand. It’s amazing that Beethoven was really very deaf indeed when he completed this wonderful piece, so much so that he was unable to perform it himself, which was really a shame as it is perhaps the greatest of his five piano concertos’.

The orchestra has specially imported a Steinway grand for Harry to perform on, in what should be a memorable and entertaining programme.

Also on the bill are Suppé’s Poet and Peasant, always a crowd-pleaser and Charles Ives’ second symphony – a wonderful celebration of American folk music, much loved by Leonard Bernstein.

It is a favourite too of the orchestra conductor and musical director, Bryan Western who has waited more than 30 years to perform this work.

Tickets at £14, £13 and £12 with half price for students and free to 14s and under, are available from the Harrogate Theatre’s box office and website or on the door.