Ukrainian National Philharmonic Orchestra

The Ukrainian National Philharmonic Orchestra play the Perth Concert Hall on Sunday 28 February 2027, with the afternoon concert starting at 15:00. They're conducted by fellow countryman Theodore Kuchar, and the programme brings in British pianist Mark Bebbington. The Times once called Bebbington 'truly a remarkable pianist', and he's toured Europe with the Czech National Orchestra and Israel with the Israel Camerata, having performed as soloist with the Ukrainian National Philharmonic, the Philippine Philharmonic and the Buffalo, London and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras, among others.

The music runs from the well-known to the contemporary. It opens with Brahms' lively Hungarian Dances Nos. 1, 5 and 17, followed by Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21, whose slow movement is known as the 'dream andante'. From there it moves into newer territory: Ivan Nebesnyy's music for the Ukrainian ballet The Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, a story of star-crossed lovers, and Manu Martin's Lim Fantasy of Companionship, which he describes as a joyful exploration of the meeting point between humanity and robotic technology. Dvořák's Symphony No. 7 closes the afternoon, a work inspired by the composer hearing Brahms' turbulent Third.

The concert takes place in the Gannochy Trust Auditorium, the main hall of the Perth Concert Hall on Mill Street, which seats up to 1,200 and forms part of Horsecross Arts alongside Perth Theatre. Tickets range from £6 to £38.50, with disabled concessions from £13.50 to £20.50, unwaged and student tickets at £6, and under-26s free. The whole thing kicks off at 15:00 on Sunday 28 February.