DORSET Sinfonia, a leading amateur orchestra in Weymouth, is breaking new ground by joining with renowned Dorset pianist Duncan Honeybourne, for their spring concert.

Duncan will be performing Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto at the concert on April 2. Duncan has an impressive and illustrious career as a soloist, broadcaster, musical director, teacher and recording artist.

He champions work by British and Irish composers of the 20th century as a performer and an educator.

Duncan has a long relationship with Dorset Sinfonia and gave his early concerto performances with the orchestra as a schoolboy. He said: “Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto is one of the most beautiful piano concertos, a masterpiece of abundant lyricism and expressive power.”

The concert will also include Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, and The Wasps Overture by Vaughan Williams.

The performance will mark a significant step up for the Dorset Sinfonia, which was formed in 1958 with the motto ‘music for pleasure for all’ and has progressed and grown over the decades. A notable sea change came with the involvement of the late Angela Nankivell in the early 1980s, growing the orchestra in numbers, depth and performances.

Duncan played at the last concert conducted by Angela Nankivell in 2009.

The current musical director David Ansell said: “We believe that this concert will not only be an excellent evening for the audience and musicians alike, but will also showcase Dorset Sinfonia as a serious and ambitious orchestra, seeking to play grander scale pieces.

“We also want to introduce more music written in the past 50 years but we can only do that if we raise enough money to pay for performing rights”

The Sinfonia hopes to have a record audience, inspiring people not only to continue to support the orchestra, but to bring their friends and – perhaps most of all – come and join them.

The concert takes place on Wednesday, April 2 at 7.30 in St Mary’s Church, St Mary St, Weymouth. Tickets on the door £8 for adults, children free.

For informationm visit www.dorsetsinfonia.co.uk