Chester Philharmonic Orchestra will be joined by a special guest as it stages the first concert of its new season at Chester Cathedral.

Marking the first event of the new season, the concert, taking place on Saturday 14 November, will feature guest soloist Braimah Kanneh-Mason and conductor Bedwyn Lloyd Phillips.

Alongside Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto, the performance will also include two much-loved and popular pieces - Finlandia by Jean Sibelius and Symphony No.2 by Sergei Rachmaninov.

Completed in 1844, Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor was written for Ferdinand David who heavily influenced its composition. It received its premiere in 1845 with David performing the violin solo.

Joining the orchestra to perform the concerto is Braimah Kanneh-Mason, the second eldest of the famous Kanneh-Mason siblings.

One of the most dynamic violinists of his generation, Braimah has performed throughout the UK, Europe, USA and Australia as a soloist and as a chamber musician.

Guest conductor for the special concert is Bedwyn Lloyd Philips, music director and chief conductor of the Welsh Philharmonic Orchestra, and principal conductor of the Shropshire Chamber Orchestra.

Diana Anderson, chair of Chester Philharmonic Orchestra, said she was "delighted" to launch the new season with the upcoming concert at Chester Cathedral.

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"It promises to be an evening of some of the greatest music of the Romantic era," she said.

"From its unforgettable opening, where the solo violin enters almost immediately, Mendelssohn's concerto is a work full of energy, elegance and emotion, balancing dazzling virtuosity with some of the most beautiful lyrical writing in the violin repertoire.

"Alongside the Mendelssohn, our guest conductor Bedwyn Lloyd Phillips leads the orchestra through two other great Romantic works.

"From the stirring power of Finlandia, through Mendelssohn's youthful brilliance, to the sweeping melodies and rich orchestral colours of Rachmaninov's Second Symphony, this is a programme that promises plenty of drama, beauty and emotion."

Full details of Chester Philharmonic Orchestra's first concert of its 2026/27 season can be found here, where tickets can be booked online.

Tickets can also be booked in person at the Chester Cathedral Box Office.