Mihkel Kerem - Orchestral Music, Vol. 2 (Andrew Manze)

Information

Composer: Mihkel Kerem

• Symphony No. 7
• Symphony No. 8

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Andrew Manze, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: Toccata Classics

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Estonian composer Mihkel Kerem (b. 1981), a violinist with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra since 2015, composed four symphonies during the Covid lockdown, including the Seventh and Eighth, conceived as a contrasting pair. The Seventh Symphony is dark and expansive, unfolding in a large sonata-form arch reminiscent of Sibelius, with a sound world that blends organic growth and dramatic, kaleidoscopic textures. The Eighth Symphony, which alludes to Sibelius through a quotation of the trombone theme from his Seventh, unfolds as a broad accelerando, drawing on Nordic-Baltic traditions to evoke natural vastness through orchestral power.

Andrew Manze (b. 1965) is acclaimed as one of today’s most inspiring conductors, known for his scholarship, energy, and warmth. Chief Conductor of the NDR Radiophilharmonie since 2014 (contract extended to 2023), he also became Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic in 2018/19, with whom he recorded Vaughan Williams’s complete symphonies. His award-winning Pentatone recordings with the NDR focus on Mendelssohn and Mozart. In demand worldwide, he has conducted leading orchestras including the LA Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Concertgebouw, and Bavarian Radio Symphony. Formerly Artistic Director of the English Concert, he first gained prominence as a baroque violinist and remains active as a teacher, editor, and broadcaster.

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