Leeds Symphony Orchestra – Wetherby Festival Event

Leeds Symphony Orchestra is delighted to be returning to the Wetherby Arts Festival this year with a programme celebrating the richness and variety of the orchestral repertoire. Featuring Weber’s dramatic Overture to Der Freischütz, Copland’s lyrical and vibrant Clarinet Concerto with guest soloist Benjamin Palmer, Amy Beach’s Bal Masqué, and Sibelius’s magnificent Symphony No. 2. This concert promises an evening of memorable music, from intimate lyricism to exhilarating orchestral grandeur. We hope you can join us.

Full programme below

Carl Maria von Weber – Overture to Der Freischutz

Aaron Copland – Clarinet Concerto Soloist Ben Palmer

Amy Beach – Bal Masqué Op. 22

Jean Sibelius – Symphony No. 2 in D Major Op. 43

Ben Palmer

Our soloist for the Aaron Copland Clarinet Concerto: Benjamin Palmer is a Leeds-based clarinettist, multi-instrumentalist and singer. He regularly performs as Principal Clarinet with the Leeds Symphony Orchestra.

Originally from Birmingham, he began playing the clarinet at the age of seven and went on to perform with the Birmingham Schools’ Symphony Orchestra, including appearances at Symphony Hall, as well as with the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra. He later added saxophone to his instrumental work, performing with the Birmingham Schools’ Jazz Band.

After moving to Leeds in 2013 to study music, Benjamin received clarinet tuition from Liz Jordan and Colin Honour and became deeply involved in the university’s musical community. During his studies he performed with every ensemble in the Leeds University Union Music Society and appeared multiple times as a concerto soloist. As a soloist, he has performed concertos by Mozart, Finzi, Spohr and Rossini, alongside Oscar Navarro’s II Concerto for Clarinet and Wind Band, including multiple performances outside of the UK.

Alongside his instrumental work, Benjamin was active in choral music, managing both the LUUMS Chamber Choir and Symphonic Choir, co-conducting the former, and holding a brief choral scholarship at Leeds Cathedral.

He continues to enjoy a varied freelance career across Yorkshire outside of his day job. In addition to his orchestral work, he performs regularly with chamber ensembles and appears as a reed player for music theatre productions on clarinet, saxophone and flute. Recent work has included performances with the Sestina Ensemble and productions including Carousel with Yeadon Theatre Company and Sunday in the Park with George with Leeds Gilbert & Sullivan Society. He is also an active singer with Clothworkers Consort and has performed with ensembles including Leeds Festival Chorus, most recently appearing in Mendelssohn’s Elijah with The Hallé Orchestra in Sheffield.

Away from music, Benjamin enjoys keeping active through squash, running and the gym, as well as spending time cooking and eating with his wife.
John Lyon

John Lyon

Leeds Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1890, and we gave our first concert on 30th November 1891. We have had a continuous existence since then, making us one of the oldest established amateur orchestras in the United Kingdom.

For the first eighty years of the orchestra’s life, we had ten conductors, though four of these served only a year each during the First World War. Of these conductors, Harold Mason was in post for the longest, from 1920 – 1948. Martin Binks, by far the longest-serving conductor in our history, held that role from 1970 until his death in December 2019. John Lyon was appointed conductor in 2020.