ConcertPulse
Chineke! Orchestra / Isata Kanneh-Mason / Kevin John Edusei
Elbphilharmonie, Großer Saal (Hamburg)
More ethnic diversity in the world of classical music is the aim of the Chineke! Orchestra, which is made up mainly of Black musicians. It made its celebrated debut at the Elbphilharmonie in 2022. Now it returns under the baton of its long-time companion Kevin John Edusei. The soloist is shooting star Isata Kanneh-Mason, who has already won prizes such as the Opus Klassik in her young career. Together they perform Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto, which bounces cheerfully between percussive elements, opulent orchestral passages and gentle chamber-music sequences, giving the soloist ample opportunity to shine. »Prisms, Cycles, Leaps« by Derrick Skye refers to the search for beauty in life and nature through a variety of experiences. Musical elements from the Balkans, Ghana and Hindustani music combine to create electrifying polyrhythmic melodies. Borrowings from jazz, funk, pop and hip-hop are promised by the first performance of a new work by British composer Brian Nabors, who already caused a stir with the press at the previous Chineke! concert: »Brian Nabors’s ›Pulse‹ offered the tutti the chance to juggle with the motif ideas in a cool way, which swirled around so colourfully that they seemed to be lining up to play a Hollywood soundtrack.«