Santtu Conducts Bernstein, Copland & Gershwin
The clarinet shines in Mark van de Wiel’s hands in tonight’s concert with the Philharmonia Orchestra.
Van de Wiel first performed in the Royal Festival Hall as a member of the National Youth Orchestra, and was the Philharmonia’s Principal Clarinet from 2000 to 2025.
He plays a brand new concerto commissioned from his friend Jonathan Dove CBE. Dove’s music often expresses feelings of wonder at the natural world.
His third concerto to feature a soloist scanning the skies (following Stargazer and Northern Lights), Rainbow showcases Van de Wiel’s virtuosity and lyricism.
The celebration continues with Aaron Copland’s glorious Clarinet Concerto, commissioned by jazz legend Benny Goodman. Then Van de Wiel hands over to the Philharmonia’s new Principal Clarinet, Maura Marinucci, for the unmistakable glissando opening of Rhapsody in Blue. On piano, Frank Dupree brings his infectious energy and enthusiasm to Gershwin’s masterpiece.
To open, Principal Conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali has chosen the suite from Bernstein’s Oscar-winning score for On the Waterfront, a tale of violence and corruption on the New Jersey docks starring Marlon Brando. Bernstein’s music is full of brassy bravado, but there are moments of tender hopefulness too.
Performers
Philharmonia Orchestra
Santtu-Matias Rouvali conductor
Frank Dupree piano
Mark van de Wiel clarinet
Repertoire
Bernstein: On the Waterfront, symphonic suite
Jonathan Dove: Clarinet Concerto (Rainbow) (World premiere)
Interval
Copland: Clarinet Concerto
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
Need to know
For your visit
This event is held at the Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre
The Royal Festival Hall is open six days a week.
Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.
Plan your visit
The Royal Festival Hall is home to our largest auditorium as well as The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Members’ Lounge, Festival Bar & Kitchen, Ballroom Cafe and Skylon restaurant.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
On Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace. You can grab a coffee and a slice of freshly made cake from our Ballroom Cafe. Or alternatively enjoy destination dining in the restaurant at Skylon.
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.