Max Richter+

The evening

David Brophy conductorMari Samuelsen violin/director*Chris Ekers sound

Few composers have reshaped the landscape of contemporary classical music like Max Richter. His work bridges worlds – minimalism, electronica and cinematic soundscapes – creating music that feels both intimate and epic. We’re excited to feature his music in the first of our 2026/27 New Dimensions concerts.

Conducted by David Brophy, the programme opens with Richter’s Opus 2020, a haunting meditation on time and memory that nods to Beethoven’s radical spirit. From there, the music moves into the hypnotic clarity of Philip Glass’ Company, its transparent textures and pulsing rhythms creating an atmosphere of meditative intensity, before bursting into the rhythmic swagger of John Adams’ The Chairman Dances – a vibrant, jazz-inflected foxtrot brimming with wit and movement.

The evening culminates with Richter’s celebrated Recomposed: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons, where the ornamentation of the original is stripped away and rebuilt with shimmering sonorities and driving momentum. At the heart of this reinvention is violinist Mari Samuelsen, play-directing with virtuosic command, and bringing Richter’s vision to life.