Brecon will play host the Welsh National Opera (WNO) Orchestra this summer as part of their upcoming tour.

The renowned orchestra will visit Theatr Brycheiniog on July 4 for the first leg of their Crossing Borders tour.

The performance promises to be an inspiring journey through the rich musical tapestry of Central Europe.

For the first time, WNO Music Director Tomáš Hanus will conduct WNO Orchestra on a tour of Wales and the South West in a programme which features a selection of Central Europe’s finest masterpieces. 

Each performance will open with the Overture from Smetana’s The Bartered Bride, in a nod to 2024 being the year of Czech music.

Other orchestral numbers included in the concert depending on venue are Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with soloist David Adams (Brecon, Southampton and Aberystwyth), or Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major with soloist Thomas Verity (Bangor, Cardiff and Newtown).

The concerts will close with Schumann’s Symphony No 4, infused with the famous ‘Clara Theme’ in honour of the composer’s wife.

As well as Brecon, the orchestra tour will stop off at venues in Southampton (Turner Sims, July 9), Cardiff (Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, July 11), Bangor (Pontio Arts Centre, July 12), Newtown (The Hafren, July 13) and Aberystwyth (Arts Centre, July 21). 

Tickets are available via the theatre’s website: www.brycheiniog.co.uk/en