Gala Concert with RPO 27 September
📅 Saturday 27 September 2025
Time: 19:30
Location: White Rock Theatre, White Rock, Hastings TN34 1JX
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Scott Dunn conductor
Harmony Zhu piano
Curtis Phill Hsu piano
Frédéric Chopin: Piano Concerto No 1 in E minor, Op 11 (Harmony Zhu)
Sergei Rachmaninov: Piano Concert No 2, Op 18 (Curtis Phill Hsu)
2024 prizewinners, Curtis Phill Hsu and Harmony Zhu return to Hastings this September for a concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Scott Dunn featuring two undisputed pillars of the Romantic piano repertoire.
Harmony Zhu, was just 18 when she won second prize in 2024 and now not only forging a career as a pianist, but also studying maths at Harvard. She will be soloist in Chopin’s poignant and romantic Piano Concerto No 1, written in 1830 when he was just twenty and about to leave his native Poland to live the rest of his life in exile.
First prize winner Curtis Phill Hsu is the soloist in Rachmaninov’s monumental Piano Concerto No 2. One of the best known of all concertos, the piece was a huge success when it was premiered in 1901 with Rachmaninov himself as soloist, and later became part of popular culture thanks to its use in David Lean’s 1945 film Brief Encounter and later still Eric Carmen’s 1975 hit (later covered by Celine Deon) All by Myself.
If you’ve never seen a live orchestra before, this concert is the perfect way in. And if you’re a seasoned music lover, this promises to be a highlight of the autumn season.
You may also be interested in our In Conversation event about how orchestras work, which will take place just before the concert. Find out more here.
Tickets
£23 - £41.15 including commission and restoration levy.
Tickets on sale now via the White Rock Theatre Box Office.
Members of our Patrons scheme (Gold level and above) qualify for a free ticket for this event. Please email Mimi Scott to arrange your ticket.
