Mark Elder, conductor
Polina Leschenko, piano

“Manchester didn’t enjoy such a powerful combination between inspiring maestro and incandescent orchestra since Barbirolli’s times (1943-1970). Helped by Lyn Fletcher, Hallé’s exceptional spalla, Elder has transformed it in a passionate and well-disciplined group, capable of offering Elgar in a sumptuous manner as well as sarcastically entangle itself in Shostakovich”.
(The Times)

 In effect, since 2000, when the prestigious Mark Elder took over the musical direction of Hallé Orchestra, England’s musical life has gained a new and thrilling centre of attention. Hallé is Great Britain’s older professional symphonic orchestra. Created in Manchester in 1858 by the pianist and maestro Charles Hallé, the orchestra performed for the first time on Manchester’s Free Trade Hall. After the death of its founder, the orchestra continued to work under the lead of leading figures such as Hans Richter, Hamilton Harty and John Barbirolli.

Under the direction of Mark Elder, Hallé has been nationally and internationally acclaimed. It performs in over a hundred concerts a year, in England and in international tours. For its presentations in Cultura Artística’s 2008 season, Mark Elder and Hallé Orchestra invite the brilliant Russian pianist Polina Leschenko to play as a soloist. A rising star in the small selected group of young piano players, Polina Leschenko has regularly played with Hallé Orchestra in exhilarating presentations, acclaimed by audiences and specialized critics alike. Mark Elder was knighted in 2008 due to his contributions to British music.