A London Mozart Players' Fairfield season wouldn't be complete without an appearance by Howard Shelley in his dual role as conductor and soloist and he joins the orchestra on Sunday, December 8.

Needing no introduction as a world-renowned pianist, Shelley has also been developing his conducting career since 1985 and was Principal Guest Conductor of the LMP from 1992-1998.

He now has strong associations as a conductor with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Tasmanian Symphony and Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra and is music director and principal conductor of Sweden's Uppsala Chamber Orchestra.

At Fairfield Shelley plays Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No 1 in G minor; wonderfully classical in form but innovative for its time in that the three traditional movements are linked together.

Shelley has recorded this work with the LMP to critical acclaim. He conducts two symphonies; Haydn's Symphony No 83 The Hen and Dvorak's popular Symphony No 8. This performance of Dvorak's Eighth Symphony is the first ever by the LMP at Fairfield, making this concert an extra special event. The orchestra remains essentially its usual classical size, with the addition of just one extra viola, cello and double bass and slightly expanded woodwind and brass sections.

Howard Shelley will be giving a free pre-concert talk in the concert hall at 6.30pm. The concert starts at 8pm and tickets are available from the Fairfield box office on 020 8688 9291, priced from £7.50 to £23. The LMP are funded by the London Borough of Croydon and sponsored by Nestle UK Ltd.

November 28, 2001 16:30