London Mozart Players reveals 2023-24 season

London Mozart Players (LMP) has today launched its 2023-24 season. Celebrating its 75^th birthday this year, the orchestra will perform across London and the South East with soloists including Isata Kanneh-Mason, Imogen Cooper, Martin James Bartlett and Anna Prohaska.

The upcoming season is firmly rooted in the orchestra’s south London home, opening with a celebration of Croydon’s Fairfield Halls, where LMP is orchestra in residence. Story of the Fair Field will be a musical exploration of the borough’s historic funfair and famous resident, composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.

LMP chief executive Flynn Le Brocq said: ‘As we celebrate 75 years of music making, we’re using this season to look back on our past and particularly on our historic connection with Croydon. The Launch of the London Borough of Culture in 2023 gave us a chance to re-establish ourselves firmly in the local community and further develop our partnership with Fairfield Halls and we’re looking forward to another year of adventurous and exciting programmes.’

Coleridge-Taylor’s legacy is also celebrated in the orchestra’s newly created Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Prize, the winner of which will be showcased in the orchestra’s Music Through the Ages concert alongside the winner of Croydon Performing Arts Festival. Created to support young composers from underrepresented backgrounds, the new prize offers the winner the opportunity to develop their work with LMP musicians and industry experts.

Developing musicians are also supported through the LMP’s Mozart Explored lunchtime series which offers £10 ‘Education’ tickets to anyone studying or working at a school or university. Pianist Howard Shelley will introduce audiences to each of Mozart’s final five Piano Concertos with a short lecture and performance.

LMP also explores the great composer’s legacy through Mozart: The Mixtape, a recreation of a 1783 Mozart concert. Pianists Imogen Cooper and Martin James Bartlett join forces with soprano Anna Prohaska sand the LMP to transport audiences back to 18^th century Vienna in celebration of 75 years of LMP.

LMP conductor-in-residence and artistic advisor Jonathan Bloxham said: ‘In this birthday season, it is exciting to welcome so many top soloists to share the stage with us, many of whom have a long-standing relationship with the ensemble. This season is extra special for me as I begin my first full year as Conductor-in-Residence and Artistic Advisor - I can’t wait to be back on stage with LMP in the Autumn!’

Bloxham will lead pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason in her second collaboration with LMP, a programme of Beethoven and Mendelssohn, alongside Anna Clyne’s Stride, while the orchestra also brings back its much-loved Tasting Notes series, pairing musical works with their alcoholic equivalent for a musical wine tasting evening directed by LMP Leader Simon Blendis.

You can find the full programme for the upcoming season here.