From Death To Glory – Mozart 270 | Finzi 125

On Halloween weekend, join the Choirs of Robinson College Cambridge, St Pancras New Church, St James' Piccadilly, and Pembroke College, Oxford, on a journey from Death to Glory, accompanied by the Orchestra of Southern Opera.  Under the expert batons of Maestri Tang and Sims, listen to the depths of Mozart; from his most famous piano concerto, to his very last work - the Requiem.  Then joined by stellar soloists from around the globe, experience Finzi; one of England's most sublime composers in four contrasting works heard rarely in its full orchestral form.

Programme:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791)

• Piano Concerto in No. 20 in D minor, K.466

• Requiem in D minor, K.626

Gerald Raphael Finzi (1901 – 1956)

• Five Bagatelles (Op.23)

• Eclogue (Op.10)

• Lo, the full, final sacrifice (Op. 26)

• God is Gone Up (Op.27)

Performers:

Douglas Tang is an award-winning conductor, keyboardist and coach whose career spans Europe, Asia, the United States and Australia. Equally at home in opera, orchestral and choral music, he has performed at leading venues including the Sydney Opera House, Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall and Washington National Cathedral. His work has taken him from Monteverdi opera productions to major choral festivals, including the Three Choirs Festival, and to Germany’s early music festival scene, where he has directed acclaimed programmes of Schütz, Vivaldi and Bach at the Vielklang Festival in Tübingen. A former Organ Scholar of the world-renowned Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, Douglas has held appointments at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney, and the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, and is currently Director of Music at St Pancras New Church, London. He has performed with leading ensembles including the Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, London Sinfonietta, Academy of Ancient Music and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. His varied career encompasses opera, contemporary music premieres, collaborations with film and opera stars, and recordings for Disney/Marvel, the BBC, Hyperion and Willowhayne. His acclaimed CD The Hereford Experience received praise for its vitality, clarity and expressive musicianship. He has broadcast extensively on radio and television and teaches and coaches at leading UK conservatoires, including the Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music and Guildhall School of Music & Drama. In 2026, he was appointed official accompanist of the Llangollen Eisteddfod – the festival credited with starting Pavarotti’s career. 

Will Sims is the Director of Chapel Music at Robinson College, Cambridge, where he directs the Choir for their weekly service schedule and busy concert, touring, and recording calendar, and supervises undergraduates in the Faculty of Music. In this role, he has directed the Choir’s first three commercial recordings (Convivium & Prima Facie Records) to critical acclaim, led worship in the Thomaskirche and Sagrada Família, broadcast a concert live from the Duomo di Milano, and given over fifteen premierés. Prior to this, Will was the Director of Music at University College, Durham; his recording of Durufle’s Requiem (Priory Records) is regularly broadcast on Radio 3’s Essential Classics. He is a prize-winning Choral Director of the Royal College of Organists, and was an inaugural member of the Yale Sacred Music Academy.

Katrina Suroveca (piano, Mozart’s Concerto No. 20)  is a Latvian pianist whose artistic career combines international concert activity, creative entrepreneurship, and a strong commitment to bringing classical music to contemporary audiences.  Born in Riga, Latvia, in 1995, she began her musical education in Latvia before continuing her artistic development internationally. Since 2022, she has been pursuing her studies in Germany, and is currently completing the Konzertexamen degree at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden under the guidance of Professor Hinrich Alpers.  Katrina is a prizewinner of numerous international competitions, including the Yamaha Scholarship Competition, the Augustin Aponte International Music Competition, and Musical Fireworks in Baden-Württemberg, among others. Her artistic achievements have also been recognized by the Latvian Ministry of Culture and the patrons of the Latvian Academy of Music. As a performer, Katrina has appeared extensively across Europe, with a strong artistic presence in Germany and Italy. She regularly performs at the C. Bechstein Centres in Dresden and Berlin, presenting solo recitals and concert programs. In Italy, she has been featured at distinguished festivals and venues including Festival Pianistico Internazionale Larius, Mulino del Ronzone, Sala Baldini in Rome, and other important concert series.

Will Hammond (clarinet, Finzi’s  Five Bagatelles)  is a British clarinettist and recent graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, where he completed his Master’s studies. Originally from Driffield, East Yorkshire, Will began playing the clarinet through the East Riding Youth Orchestra, later studying at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire before continuing his training at the Royal Academy of Music. As an orchestral musician, Will has performed with ensembles including the BBC Concert Orchestra, Knussen Chamber Orchestra, English Touring Opera and Welsh National Opera, including broadcasts on BBC Radio 3.  As a soloist, Will has performed concertos by Mozart, Weber and Copland with orchestras across the UK. His chamber music work has included recent performances of Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale, Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire and Françaix’s Octet.

Minah Lee (piano, Finzi’s Eclogue) is a British-Korean pianist based in London, primarily working as a solo performer alongside an active practice in collaboration with singers and instrumentalists. Her repertoire spans the Classical and Romantic traditions through to French impressionism, with particular interests in Mozart, Chopin, Debussy and Rachmaninoff. Her performances are shaped by a strong emphasis on musical communication, colour and expressive freedom, seeking an immediate connection between performer, music and audience.  Minah has performed as a soloist and collaborative pianist at venues across the UK and internationally, including St James’s Piccadilly, St John’s Smith Square, the Old Royal Naval College, St Alfege Church Greenwich, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, and venues in Latvia. She regularly works with singers and instrumentalists, exploring the dialogue between different musical voices.