The Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Marios Papadopoulos, plays Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 'From the New World' with cello soloist Maximilian Hornung.
The Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra are at the Sheldonian Theatre on Wednesday 2 December, with Marios Papadopoulos conducting. The night is built around Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 'From the New World', a piece he wrote while running America's first conservatory in New York. It's the one that brought together American spirituals and plantation songs with European traditions, and it's come to be regarded as the bible of Czech music.
That's not the only Dvořák on the bill, though. The orchestra also plays Letter from America, so the composer gets double duty across the evening. Between those two, cellist Maximilian Hornung takes the lead for Alexey Shor's Cello Concerto No. 3 in D minor, and the whole thing opens with Billy James' The Deserter, which was selected following the OPO's Composers' Workshop 2026. It's a programme that works its way from a new voice through a cello concerto and into the big symphony that gives the night its name.
There's a bit of local context to keep in mind, too. The Sheldonian, on Broad Street, is a unique setting for live music, and the Oxford Philharmonic figures across its season, with Marios Papadopoulos conducting several of its programmes. This is one of those nights where the orchestra is right at home in the building.
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The concert starts at 19:30 and runs for about two hours. Tickets are £15, £30, £40, and £50, with student prices from £5.
