Join us on a musical space adventure like no other when the Odense Symphony Orchestra explores known and unknown galaxies in a giant program with the biggest draw. Gustav Holst's Planeterne is a symphonic masterpiece that requires considerable instrumental muscle to realize, and the 7 movements that encapsulate the essence of the planets in our solar system are here followed by Colin Matthews's addition: Pluto – despite the fact that we are now no longer allowed to call the one planet. Ligeti's Atmosphères is the sound of being stretched out in space with no possibility of coming back – and that's what Stanley Kubrick heard when he catapulted the piece to world fame as an invisible and eerie co-star in his ground-breaking film Space Travel in 2001.

The Planets & Star Wars

Odense Concert Hall

A Visit to Friends is an opera about love. Or, more accurately, about love’s frustrations. Drawing on Anton Chekhov’s short story and William Boyd’s Chekhovian play Longing, Colin Matthews’ opera (with libretto written by William Boyd) is, beguilingly, an opera within an opera, with music strongly influenced by Scriabin.

Aldeburgh Festival Opera: A Visit To Friends

Snape Maltings

### Event Description: Kahchun Wong Conducts Mahler's 'Titan'

**Date and Time:** Thursday, 26th September 2024, 7:30 PM  
**Venue:** The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

Join us for a monumental evening as Kahchun Wong, in his inaugural concert as the Hallé's new Principal Conductor, leads a powerful opening to the 2024-25 season. This event promises to be a captivating experience, featuring Mahler's Symphony No. 1, famously known as the 'Titan' Symphony.

**Programme:**
- **Britten:** The Prince of the Pagodas: Suite (arranged by Colin Matthews and Kahchun Wong)
- **Mahler:** Symphony No. 1

**Pre-Concert Talk:**  
At 6:30 PM in the auditorium, Kahchun Wong and composer Colin Matthews will engage in an insightful conversation, offering a deeper understanding of the evening's programme.

**Runtime:** 100 minutes

**Ticket Information:**  
Prices range from £17 to £50, including fees. Concessions and discounts are available.

**About the Event:**
Mahler’s 'Titan' Symphony is celebrated for its bold departure from convention and its evocative exploration of the human experience. Despite its initial mixed reception, it has become one of the most revered first symphonies ever written. Kahchun Wong, a previous winner of the Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition, brings his unique affinity for Mahler’s works to this performance, promising an unforgettable interpretation.

Additionally, the evening will feature a masterful selection from Benjamin Britten's ballet, The Prince of the Pagodas, arranged by Kahchun Wong in collaboration with Colin Matthews, Composer Emeritus of the Hallé.

**Don't miss this opportunity to witness Kahchun Wong's debut with the Hallé and experience the profound beauty of Mahler's 'Titan' Symphony.**

**Booking:**  
[Book now](#) to secure your tickets for this extraordinary event.

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Kahchun Wong Conducts Mahler's Titan

The Bridgewater Hall

Bartók’s Dance Suite weaves together folk-inspired melodies and restless rhythms, creating a vibrant, kaleidoscopic celebration of dance that bridges cultures with electrifying energy Here’s a rare chance to hear a major world premiere by one of modern music’s great conjuror of musical worlds, Colin Matthews. We also hear Rachmaninoff’s last major orchestral work, a suite of dances that sounds both entirely modern, but which still bears all the hallmarks of this supremely melodic composer.

London Symphony Orchestra/Elim Chan

Barbican Centre

Unsuk Chin’s Le Chant des Enfants des Étoiles is an intensely atmospheric work which will take you on an exploration through the stars and the infinite reaches of space. Recently revised by the composer, this concert presents the exciting world premiere of this updated version.

The Planets

In a magnificent chorus of Hallé singers, the Choir and Children’s Choir join Kahchun Wong for a celestial trio. Unsuk Chin’s Le Chant des Enfants des Étoiles is an intensely atmospheric work which will take you on an exploration through the stars and the infinite reaches of space. Recently revised by the composer, this concert presents the exciting world premiere of this updated version. While the most recognised of Holst’s The Planets in modern times are perhaps Mars, the Bringer of War and Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity (featured in ‘I Vow to Thee, My Country’), hearing the complete suite in order provides an incredible musical journey through the solar system. Commissioned by the Hallé, Colin Matthews rose to the irresistible challenge of writing a complementary movement to Holst’s The Planets. A flurry of solar winds in the strings, and the lightning-fast scherzo Pluto, the Renewer was formed.

Colin Matthews

Events

Upcoming events

Feb 8, 2026

London Symphony Orchestra/Elim Chan · Barbican Centre

Feb 19, 2026

The Planets · The Hallé

Feb 19, 2026

The Hallé – The Planets · The Bridgewater Hall

Past events

30 - 31 Oct, 2025

The Planets & Star Wars · Odense Symphony Orchestra

13 - 14 Jun, 2025

Aldeburgh Festival Opera: A Visit To Friends · Aurora Orchestra

About

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