The Full Works Concert – Wednesday 15 May: Marvellous Maestros

Three British conductors - and a Hungarian - take to the podium for the third in our week of concerts showcasing classical music's marvellous maestros.

One of Britain's most innovative conductors, Sir John Eliot Gardiner - pictured above - founded the Monteverdi Choir, the English Baroque Soloists and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique. Tonight, he's at the helm of the English Baroque Soloists for Mozart's Symphony No.39.

Sir Mark Elder was the music director of English National Opera from 1979 to 1993. He was appointed music director of the Hallé Orchestra in 1999, restoring the orchestra to high musical standards. "I'm quite a physical conductor," says Sir Mark. The famously still Sir Adrian Boult once told him, "I see you're one of the sweaty ones." Tonight Sir Mark conducts the Halle in Elgar’s Serenade for Strings.  

Christopher Hogwood - well known as the founder of the Academy of Ancient Music - conducts them in a performance of Haydn’s Symphony No.39.  

It’s not all about the Brits, though: we’ll also hear Hungarian Ivan Fischer conducting his Budapest Festival Orchestra for Dvorak’s Symphony No.7. It was commissioned in 1884 by the Philharmonic Society of London who invited Dvorak to write a new symphony and elected him as an honorary member. 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No.39 in E flat major
John Eliot Gardiner conducts the English Baroque Soloists

Edward Elgar: Serenade in E minor for Strings
Mark Elder conducts the Halle Orchestra

Joseph Haydn: Symphony No.39 in G minor
Christopher Hogwood conducts the Academy of Ancient Music

Antonin Dvorak: Symphony No.7 in D minor
Ivan Fischer conducts the Budapest Festival Orchestra