City of Peterborough Symphony Orchestra
Next Concerts
Spring 2027 - 21st March
'Folk & Fire'
Queen Katherine Academy
Summer 2027 - 3rd July
'Passion & Pathos'
Peterborough Cathedral
Bjorn has an extensive performance schedule conducting ensembles and orchestras internationally. He is principal conductor of the Irish Memory Orchestra and has been a guest conductor for the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia Choir of Cape Town, the European Bienniale in Naples and the Svanker Music Festival. Bjorn was also principal conductor for the St Albans Symphony Orchestra, the London Medical Orchestra, the Huntingdonshire Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, the Europa Ensemble and the Film Score Spectacular Orchestra and the International String Orchestra Festival in Malta.
Passionate about teaching, Bjorn runs the Conducting Course for the National Schools Symphony Orchestra course in Malvern College and the Conducting Course for the Open Strings Festival in Denmark. He also founded and is principal conductor for the London Chamber Strings which showcases London’s finest string professionals. Hand-picked specifically for their musical integrity and stunning virtuosity the London Chamber Strings are led by David Juritz.
Bjorn regularly conducts the Hertfordshire Philharmonia and worked as conductor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the London Contemporary Dance School and the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain. He has broadcast live on the SABC, BBC and S4C and has recorded and produced CD’s for the Kingsway Record label. Bjorn studied conducting with Colin Metters, Head of Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He has won numerous prizes, bursaries and scholarships including first prize in the Sir John Barbirolli competition, RNCM Contemporary Music Performance Prize and a Full International ABRSM Scholarship.
Born in Cape Town into an exceptionally musical and theatrical family Tessa Uys is one of South Africa's most distinguished concert pianists. Aged 7, she gave her first public performance and made her concerto debut at 13 with the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra conducted by David Tidboald. At 16,whilst still at school, she won a Royals Schools Associated Board Scholarship and continued her studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London where she studied with Gordon Green. Here she won many prizes, and in her final year was awarded the top prize, the Macfarren Medal.
Further studies included in London with Maria Curcio and in Siena, Italy with Guido Agosti. Shortly after this, Tessa Uys won the Royal Overseas League competition. Tessa has established herself an impressive reputation, both as concert performer and as a broadcasting artiste, performing at many of the major concert venues throughout the world. She is also in demand as examiner, teacher and adjudicator.
Tessa Uys made the first broadcast recordings of the Godowsky transcriptions of 12 Schubert songs for both BBC Radio 3 and Radio Hilversum in Holland. She has given many recitals at the Wigmore Hall, as well as at St John's Smith Square, and Southbank. Tessa Uys has played under such distinguished conductors as Sir Neville Marriner, Walter Susskind and Louis Fremaux, Matthias Baemert and Nicholas Kraemer. She has also enjoyed the distinction of working with the film director John Schlesinger on his film ‘Madame Sousatzka’, starring Shirley MacLaine. In 1994 she was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music. In the year 2000, to mark the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death, she recorded the Goldberg Variations released as a double CD for GSE Claremont records.
In 2010, Tessa Uys and Ben Schoeman established a duo partnership after being invited to give a two-piano recital at the Royal Over-Seas League in London. Ever since, they have performed regularly at music societies, festivals and at the BBC. In 2015, they embarked on their journey with the 9 Beethoven Symphonies transcribed for piano four hands by Franz Xaver Scharwenka. They have recently recorded a six-volume set of CDs, comprising the complete cycle of the 9 symphonies for SOMM recordings.
The concert opens with the overture to Rossini's La Cenerentola (Cinderella), composed in 1817. Although it contains no themes from the opera itself, the overture perfectly captures Rossini's theatrical flair. Sparkling woodwind passages, playful exchanges between instrumental groups, and the composer's trademark crescendos create an atmosphere of wit, energy, and anticipation, setting the stage for an evening of musical delight.
Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K.467, written in 1785 at the height of his Viennese success, remains one of the most beloved concertos in the repertoire. Combining elegance with profound expressive depth, the work balances virtuosity and intimacy. Its famous second movement, an exquisite meditation of serene beauty, has captivated audiences for generations, while the outer movements sparkle with grace, charm, and exuberant dialogue between soloist and orchestra.
After the interval comes Brahms's Symphony No. 2 in D major, composed during the summer of 1877. Often described as Brahms's "Pastoral" Symphony, it offers a radiant contrast to the darker, more dramatic character of his First Symphony. Inspired by the natural beauty of the Austrian countryside, the work unfolds with rich melodies, glowing orchestral colours, and a sense of expansive warmth. Beneath its sunny exterior, however, Brahms weaves moments of introspection and subtle complexity, culminating in a jubilant and triumphant finale. Together, these three works celebrate the joy, humanity, and enduring power of great music.