SOI Autumn 2026: Beethoven, Mozart, Strauss

Martyn Brabbins, conductor
Annelien Van Wauwe, basset clarinet

Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36
Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622 

Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 

In celebration of 20 years of the SOI, Chief Conductor Martyn Brabbins opens the Autumn 2026 Season with a grand programme. The orchestra launched its Beethoven symphonic cycle last season, and this concert begins with Symphony No. 2, which was composed at the threshold between Classical tradition and the bold Romantic voice he would soon unleash. Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto will be performed by acclaimed Belgian clarinettist Annelien Van Wauwe, whose “playing has abundant warmth and lyricism, allied to a sinuous vocal quality” (Classical Source). The evening concludes with the vast, cosmic tone poem Also sprach Zarathustra, unfolding from a thunderous sunrise into a sweeping meditation on humanity, nature and transcendence.

Age Limit: 6+

Late entry will not be permitted.