We are delighted to welcome Henrietta Cooke as our soloist in the enchanting Martinů Oboe Concerto. Written in 1955, it brings together a wide variety of influences, from Czech folk music to neo-classical Stravinsky with some jazzy syncopations also in the mix. Accompanied by a small orchestra including a piano, the solo line alternates passages of virtuostic brilliance with moments of lyrical tenderness.
It was with his 6th Symphony that Dvořák first achieved international recognition and it is not hard to see why. A stream of captivating melodies flows through all four movements, ranging from the expressive and elegant to energetic Bohemian dance rhythms, such as the fiery Furiant.
We open our Czech programme with Smetana’s ever-popular and much-loved tone poem Vltava, which follows the course of the river through the countryside to the city of Prague.
Henrietta grew up in Watford and started learning the oboe at the age of 11, playing in many youth ensembles run by the Hertfordshire County Music Service. She studied her undergraduate degree in Music at the University of Southampton (2015-2018), and after that she went to the Royal College of Music for her Master’s degree and Artist Diploma (2018-2021). Her teachers were Olivier Stankiewicz, Fabien Thouand, John Anderson, Juliana Koch and Christine Pendrill. After leaving the RCM in 2021, Henrietta embarked on a busy freelance career, playing second oboe and cor anglais with orchestras including the LSO, RPO, BBCNOW, BBCSO, BBCPO, Ulster Orchestra, ROH Orchestra and the Philharmonia. Henrietta was recently appointed as the Sub-Principal Oboe of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and is looking forward to touring all around the world with her talented colleagues.