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Session Report: violinist Kerson Leong on Britten and Bruch

2023-06-14T10:34:00

KersonLeong - CoverBritten&Bruch © MarcoBorggreve

Canadian violinist Kerson Leong speaks to Tom Stewart about recording an unusual pairing of two very different concertos

Aged 25, Benjamin Britten stepped off a steamship in Montreal to begin what was supposed to be a short trip to North America. But while the composer was safely across the Atlantic, the Second World War began, delaying his return by three years. Among the creative successes of this period, which saw Britten’s music become more ambitious and distinctive (perhaps energised by the quicker pace of his temporary homeland), is his slithering, sparkling Violin Concerto. Completed not long after his arrival, it was first performed in 1940 and has just received a new recording under the fingers of 26-year-old Canadian violinist Kerson Leong…

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