Firebird

Ravel Alborada Del GraciosoMartinů Divertimento for Piano Left Hand and OrchestraGershwin an American in ParisStravinsky Firebird SuiteAntony Hermus ConductorNicholas Mccarthy PianoFollowing his triumphant BBC Proms appearance in 2025 and his performance with Coldplay at the Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony, Nicholas McCarthy is back at the Phil with an early gem of the left-hand repertoire.

Martinů’s Divertimento, commissioned by Otakar Hollmann who suffered a bullet wound to his right-hand during the First World War, is delightful and refreshing, echoing the impressionistic and jazz-infused sounds of Gershwin’s An American in Paris, which was written at the same time.

By contrast, Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite is lush and full of fairytale imagery and vibrant Russian folk theatre.Post-concert Talk in the Music Room – starts 15 minutes after the concert ends with conductor Antony Hermus and pianist Nicholas McCarthy.