"Fast forward a few decades and John Wilson is still hand-picking musicians and still serving up performances so polished they leave critics scrabbling for superlatives. These days Wilson's main outfit is the Sinfonia of London, and he is as likely to be conducting the symphonic mainstream as showtunes."
"Strauss's Don Juan is an explosion of symphonic pizzazz even without the Wilson magic. As the Sinfonia of London's opener, its vitality was raw, every detail gleaming from a deliciously honeyed oboe solo to a dangerous snarl of timpani. In the Glasshouse's forensically bright acoustic, the climaxes were deafening."
"There were stunning quiet moments, of course: the barest whisper of strings, woodwind solos that poured as graciously as tea into bone china, a Nimrod initially so hushed the packed hall seemed to stop breathing. But this was a performance of extremes."
John Wilson, originally from Gateshead, established himself as a conductor known for impeccably executed performances of Hollywood musicals and symphonic jazz. Decades later, he continues this tradition with the Sinfonia of London, recently winning a conductor award at the 2026 RPS awards. At the Glasshouse for the orchestra's official first performance as an artistic partner, Wilson demonstrated his signature style through carefully curated programming. Opening with Strauss's Don Juan, the performance showcased raw vitality with gleaming details and powerful climaxes. His interpretation of Elgar's Enigma Variations employed dramatic extremes, alternating between hushed, delicate moments and intense crescendos, with Wilson pushing his well-trained orchestra to its limits.
#orchestral-conducting #classical-music-performance #john-wilson #sinfonia-of-london #concert-review
Read at www.theguardian.com
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