Philomusica’s winter concert takes place at Aberystwyth Arts Centre on Saturday, 7 December (7.30pm), with an exciting free pre-concert called ‘Musical Adventure’ for children at 6.30pm.

The 20-minute dramatic and interactive presentation will introduce some of the themes and ideas behind the Philomusica concert.

Two very different Russian composers feature; Rimsky-Korsakov’s exotic eastern Scheherazade, Op.35 and Sergei Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto N0. 2 in G minor, Op.63.

Scheherazade is based on the book, ‘A Thousand and One Nights’. Composed in 1888 it is one of his most popular pieces with dazzling and colourful orchestration.

Sergei Prokofiev, in contrast to Rimsky-Korsakov (who was mainly self taught), was recognised as a child prodigy and educated at a young age at the Music conservatory in Saint Petersburg.

Prokofiev was a bit of a rebel and achieved notoriety with dissonant and virtuosic works. He travelled and lived abroad after the 1917 Russian Revolution achieving great success as a pianist and composer in America and Europe. He composed his second Violin Concerto in 1935 as he was preparing to return to his beloved Russia but this meant abandoning the “decadent formalism’ of his early years to appease Stalin and the artistic ideals of “Soviet realism”. Soloist in the Prokofiev is violinist Eleanor Corr, winner of the Royal Overseas League Competition 2020, leader of English Touring Opera and a Philip and Dorothy green young artist.

The world premiere is a commission from Carmarthenshire-born composer Claire Victoria Roberts. A programmatic piece called ‘Els Bastaixos de Barcelona’, Claire writes: “Overlooking the city of 12th century Barcelona was an old stone quarry of Montjuic.

“When plans were made to construct a new cathedral, Santa Maria del Mar, stone was carried down to the sea by Bastaixos.

“These were devout men who wrapped their heads in cloth and took the stones one by one on top of their necks down the mountain.

“Their service was out of devotion to the Virgin Mary."

The pre-concert will use English and Welsh. All ages are welcome. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.