Osaka Philharmonic

Tadaaki Otaka conductor
Viktoria Mullova violin

Hisatada Otaka Eine Symphonische Phantasie ‘Steppe’
Prokofiev Violin Concerto No.2
Dvořák Symphony No.8

Following the recent signing of the Sister City Agreement between the City of Osaka (Japan) and Greater Manchester, we are delighted to present the renowned Philharmonic Orchestra of our newly twinned city as part of this shared year of cultural celebrations.

Viktoria Mullova is the soloist in Prokofiev’s second Violin Concerto. Written as the composer prepared to end his 18-year exile from Russia, it’s a riveting ride that seems to echo Prokofiev’s own journey, from the stark solitude of its opening bars to the joyous virtuosity of its tumultuous ending.

Antonin Dvořák was one of the leading Romantic symphonists, and the Eighth might be his finest hour – a euphoric work packed with influences from the composer’s Bohemian homeland.

And to begin, the orchestra’s Music Director Tadaaki Otaka conducts a charming rarity by his father Hisatada, a symphonic fantasy inspired by the vast grasslands of Mongolia.