Gosport violinist Lelde Kasatkina has just been appointed leader of the Portsmouth Philharmonic Orchestra and will perform her first concert in the role this weekend.

She will even have a small solo – as part of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sherezade – in the concert which will also feature soprano Jennifer Parker Lummis and the premiere of a piece by Barbadian composer, and orchestra timpanist, Nathan R. Whitney.

Entitled a ‘A Journey Beyond Imagination’, the concert is on Saturday June 27 (7pm) at the Stubbington…

Fareham soprano Jennifer Parker-Lummis has been warming up for her next concert, which will be with the Portsmouth Philharmonic Orchestra in Stubbington on Saturday.

She will be singing a range of songs, including by Puccini and Offenbach, as well as music from the films, featuring among others Titanic, in a concert promoted by Monserrat Events entitled a ‘A Journey Beyond Imagination’.

The concert is on Saturday June 27 (7pm) at the Stubbington Community Centre.

As well as Parker-Lummis’s songs, there will be…

The Portsmouth Philharmonic Orchestra is going to premiere a piece, themed around pirates, at its next concert in Fareham later this month.

Composed by one of the orchestra’s members Nathan R. Whitney – a Barbadian musician who is presently studying at the University of Portsmouth – the piece is entitled ‘Voyager’ and will open the concert on Saturday June 27 (7pm) at the Stubbington Community Centre.

Promoted by Montserrat Events, the concert has the theme of ‘A Journey Beyond Imagination’ and will also…

Spark Community Space in Portsmouth has benefited by more than £500 – the proceeds of the latest charity concert by the Portsmouth Philharmonic Orchestra.

Di Lloyd, chair of the orchestra, paid a visit to the centre earlier this month to find out more about what it does and present a cheque for £510, which was raised at the orchestra’s March concert. You can watch the video of the visit above.

At the concert, the audience enjoyed music by Max Bruch, featuring soloists Robert Blanken (clarinet) and Catherine…

The premiere of a piece of music by Portsmouth-based Barbadian composer Nathan R Whitney (pictured above) will be performed by the city’s philharmonic orchestra at its next concert in Fareham in June.

Entitled ‘Voyager’, the piece will open a concert at the Crofton Community Centre in Stubbington on Saturday June 27 (7pm) which has the theme ‘A Journey Beyond Imagination’ and the event will also feature local soprano Jennifer Parker-Lummis.

Nathan said of his piece: “Over the past few years I have been…

Ahead of his final concert, retiring Leader Colin Wilkins shares his thoughts on his life in music and on Bruch's concerto for viola and clarinet which will feature in his last concert on Sunday March 22 (3pm) at bthe Church of the Resurrection, Drayton. Tickets are available on the door or from our ticket partner Skiddle here. The concert is in aid of Spark Community Space in Portsmouth.

Click here to watch our interview with clarinet soloist Rob Blanken and click here to hear from viola player Catherine…

Catherine Lawlor, viola soloist in the next concert by the Portsmouth Philharmonic, has taken time out of her schedule to give us an exclusive interview on PPO I TV (below), detailing her career, Max Bruch’s concerto she will play in and has a word too for departing orchestra leader Colin Wilkins.

Lawlor will duet with clarinettist Rob Blanken to accompany the orchestra in performing Bruch’s concerto for clarinet and viola on Sunday March 22 (3pm) at the Church of the Resurrection in Drayton. It will be in…

Rehearsals are well underway for the Portsmouth Philharmonic’s latest charity concert later this month and one of the soloists – clarinet player Robert Blanken – has taken some time out to give an interview about his part in the proceedings, which can be watched below.

Blanken will duet with viola player Catherine Lawlor to accompany the orchestra in performing Max Bruch’s concerto for clarinet and viola on Sunday March 22 (3pm) at the Church of the Resurrection in Drayton. It will be in aid of the Spark…

It’s less than a week to go until the orchestra’s next concert. Entitled ‘Home Grown’ it has the theme of Music by British composers and will be in aid of the Lord Mayor’s annual appeal.

Advance tickets, priced £10 for adults (accompanied children free) for the concert on Sunday November 30 (3pm) at the Church of the Resurrection, Drayton are on sale here.

The featured composers are George Handel, with his Music for the Royal Fireworks, Richard Rodney Bennett (Farnham Festival Overture), Ernest Tomlinson…

Music by British composers is the theme of the latest charity concert of by the Portsmouth Philharmonic orchestra which will be in aid of the Lord Mayor’s annual appeal.

Advance tickets, priced £10 for adults (accompanied children free) for the concert on Sunday November 30 (3pm) at the Church of the Resurrection, Drayton are on sale here.

Entitled ‘Home Grown’, the concert sees George Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks taking centre stage, but a varied programme will also include works by Richard Rodney…

Tickets are still available for our next charity concert on Saturday June 28 (7pm) at St Faith's Church, Lee-on-the-Solent.

Organised by Montserrat Events, the concert takes the theme of “Victory” to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE & VJ Days.

A packed programme, which can be found here features music by Ludwig van Beethoven, Gustav Holst and Eric Coates among others. The orchestra will be working again with soprano Jennifer Parker-Lummis (pictured above)  - as it has in the past two years at a concert…

Almost £800 was presented towards Farlington Parish’s Raise the Roof appeal on Sunday, the proceeds of Portsmouth Philharmonic Orchestra’s concert in March.

Chair of the Orchestra Di Lloyd (pictured centre) attended a service at the Church of the Resurrection in Penrhyn Road and, in front of the congregation, handed over a cheque for £778 to the Revd Canon Paul Gully (left), Rector of the parish and the Revd Deb Henning Vears (right), Assistant Curate.

Di said: “This was one of the highest amounts we’ve ever…

Portsmouth ReadEasy will be putting £380 raised by the Portsmouth Philharmonic Orchestra’s concert in December to good use supporting adult literacy projects in the city.

The orchestra's next concert is this Sunday March 30 (3pm) at the Church of the Resurrection, Penrhyn Avenue, Drayton, where it will be raising money for the Farlington parish roof fund.

The concert will feature music by Beethoven and Schubert, among others, and tickets are available priced £10 on the door and also online in advance at…

A concert featuring music from Schubert and Dvorak on Sunday March 30 is raising funds for the Farlington Parish roof fund.

The Portsmouth Philharmonic Orchestra has been playing and rehearsing at the Church of the Resurrection in the parish since 2011 and has already raised more than £24,000 for local charities since it was founded in 2009.

But now it is looking closer to home to support the parish’s roof fund, which is seeking to make repairs to leaky roofs at both churches under its control.

John Upton from…

It's just a day before our final charity concert of 2024 in aid of Read Easy and the orchestra has been hard at work rehearsing under new Musical Director Ka Wai Cheng.

With music by Tchaikovsky, Goldmark, Bizet and Grieg, it's a varied programme but it would be wrong not to mark the season as well, so we're also performing Leroy Anderson's Christmas Festival. See below for a sneak preview from a recent rehearsal.

Tickets, priced £10 are available on the door and  also from our ticket partner Skiddle here…

The Portsmouth Philharmonic is delighted to announce the permanent appointment of Ka Wai Cheng (above) as Musical Director and Conductor.

Gosport-based Ka Wai has been working with the orchestra on an interim basis since April after the retirement of Hugh Carpenter and the committee decided earlier this month to ratify the appointment.

Chair of the orchestra, Di Lloyd said: “Everyone is delighted Ka Wai has agreed to take on the role permanently. She has impressed everyone with her approachable manner…

Works by Tchaikovsky, Bizet and Grieg feature in the latest charity concert by the Portsmouth Philharmonic Orchestra in aid of the local branch of Read Easy UK.

Taking place at the Church of the Resurrection, Penrhyn Road, Drayton on Sunday December 1 (3pm, doors open 2.30pm), the programme includes three popular pieces – Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet Fantasy Overture, Georges Bizet’s L’Arlesienne Suite No 1 and Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No 1.

Also featured is Karl Goldmark’s ‘Rustic Wedding Suite’…

The Portsmouth Philharmonic popped along to see the great work the Portsea Pantry does and to present a cheque for £800 to the organisation – the proceeds of the last concert in March.

Based at the John Pounds Centre, the pantry supports the residents of Portsea with affordable shopping and orchestra Chair Di Lloyd visited to see how the orchestra’s fundraising helps provide a vital service.

More than 70 people attended the concert, including Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan, which featured soloist…

Hugh Carpenter, conductor of the Portsmouth Philharmonic since 2014, is set to lay down his baton after the orchestra's concert on Sunday March 24 in aid of the Portsea Pantry.

The programme features soloist Catherine Lawlor playing Kabalevsky's Violin Concerto in C Major, along with Butterworth's The Banks of Green Willow and Haydn's ‘Drumroll’ Symphony.

Proceeds of the concert will go to the Portsea Pantry and Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan will be attending the concert.

The concert starts at 3pm at the…

The Portsmouth Philharmonic handed over a cheque for £850 to Pompey in the Community at Fratton Park on Saturday, ahead of Pompey’s big match with Northampton.

At its December concert, which celebrated the 125^th anniversary season of the club, the orchestra premiered the Pompey ‘Overture’, composed by conductor Hugh Carpenter, in the club’s honour. He presented the cheque with Orchestra Chair Di Lloyd to Pompey midfielder Terry Devlin, accompanied by CEO Clare Martin and Jodie Anthony from PitC.

A bumper…

The Portsmouth Philharmonic is looking forward to welcoming you, along with special guest and Pompey legend Alan Knight MBE, to our charity concert on Sunday December 10 at 3pm (when else?) to celebrate 125 years of Portsmouth FC.

In aid of Pompey in the Community, the concert will also feature the premiere of the ‘Pompey Overture', composed by conductor Hugh Carpenter for the club's anniversary.

Also on the programme is Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture, Bizet's L'Arlesienne Suite No 2 and Schubert's fifth…

The premiere of the 'Pompey Overture' - a short piece of music composed by Hugh Carpenter, conductor of the Portsmouth Philharmonic to commemorate the club's 125^th anniversary - will take place at the 125^th anniversary concert for the club on December 10 (3pm).

Concert go-ers are also being encourage to wear club shirts or scarves, while ambassador Alan Knight MBE will be attending on behalf of the club and a shirt, signed by this season's squad, will be up for grabs in the raffle at the event.

Tickets for…

A charity concert to celebrate 125 years of Portsmouth FC is being staged by the Portsmouth Philharmonic Orchestra next month to raise funds for Pompey in the Community.

Featuring music by Mendelssohn, Bizet and Schubert, the concert will be held at the Church of the Resurrection, Drayton – the orchestra’s home venue – at 3pm on Sunday December 10.

Since it was founded in 2009, the orchestra has raised more than £20,000 for local charities and orchestra chair Di Lloyd explained the thinking behind celebrating…

Dvorak's Eighth Symphony is the centrepiece of the latest charity concert by the Portsmouth Philharmonic in aid of Aurora New Dawn.

The charity is Portsmouth’s Lady Mayoress Marie Costa’s chosen cause for her year in the role, which comes to a close shortly. She will be in attendance along with the Lord Mayor.

Other works being performed at Haydn’s Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra, featuring Karen Travers as soloist, and Mozart’s Don Giovanni Overture.

Doors open at the Church of the Resurrection in Drayton…

Tickets are now on sale for the next charity concert of the Portsmouth Philharmonic, featuring music by Mendelssohn, Mozart and Gounod.

The concert, postponed from March, will take place on Saturday June 25 at the Church of the Resurrection, Penrhyn Road, Drayton starting at 7.30pm. 

The concert is in aid of Cavernoma Alliance UK (CAUK) and tickets can be bought online here priced £8 for adults with accompanied children free. Please note a booking fee applies to maximise the amount the concert raises.

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