Following our concert last summer in the presence of HRH Duke of Edinburgh, Chetham’s is excited to perform with the BBC Philharmonic in this unique partnership that enables our students to work side by side with some of the world’s finest musicians.
Some of the UK’s most incredible young musicians perform at their home venue, the Stoller Hall.
Programme to include:
Mendelssohn String Symphony, Montgomery Strum
Strauss Symphony for Wind Instruments (1st movement), Gipps Sinfonietta for Wind and Tam Tam
Copland Fanfare for the Common Man, Schuller Symphony for Brass
Walton Symphony No 1
Wind and Brass will be directed by world renowned oboist and conductor Nicholas Daniel. Strings will be directed by Stephanie Gonley, leader of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and English Chamber Orchestra (and chets alumna). Walton’s 1st symphony will be conducted by Julius Mauldin.
With thanks to the William Walton and La Mortella Trust for their generous donation.
CENTENARY OF THE BIRTH OF LADY WALTON
1926 – 2026
The year 2026 marks the centenary of the birth of Lady Susana Walton, a woman of extraordinary charisma, patron of the arts, creative spirit, and guardian of one of the Mediterranean’s most enchanting places: the La Mortella Gardens in Forio d’Ischia.
Born in Argentina in 1926 as Susana Gil Passo, she met and married the English composer William Walton in 1948. Together they chose Ischia as their home and source of inspiration. There, in collaboration with the renowned landscape architect Russell Page, Susana embarked on the project that would define her life: transforming a rugged, rocky terrain into a magnificent garden. Conceived as a place of domestic bliss and a retreat for the composer, La Mortella also became for her a lifelong home in which to express her creativity, her love of plants, and her artistic sensitivity.
After her husband’s death, Lady Walton devoted herself entirely to the care and development of La Mortella, shaping it into not only a tropical garden of exceptional beauty but also a vibrant cultural centre, with music and young musicians at its very heart. Today, the William Walton Foundation and the La Mortella Gardens—both created through her vision—continue to preserve her legacy, welcoming over 90,000 visitors each year and hosting concerts, masterclasses, conferences, and botanical initiatives that keep her spirit alive.
To celebrate the hundredth anniversary of Lady Walton’s birth, the Foundation is promoting a major commemorative project: a full year of events in Italy and the United Kingdom dedicated to the memory, artistic vision, and cultural legacy of a woman who left a lasting mark on both the worlds of nature and music.
