In June 1938, even as the skies darkened over continental Europe, a new star rose in the musical firmament. Vitezslava Kapralova arrived in London to conduct the BBC Symphony Orchestra in her own work, the Military Sinfonietta, to universal acclaim.

Young, Czech, a woman no less, Kapralova epitomised the cultural flowering of a proud new republic, albeit one already looking over its shoulder at the growing menace of an overbearing neighbour. The rhyme with our own time is unmistakeable.

Within two years, she was dead, and the world was at war. 

We look at the dramatic events of 1938 - Anschluss, Munich, Kristallnacht - through the lens of a musical genius, one cut short at the painfully young age of 25 but whose legacy of songs, piano and chamber work is as diverse as it is extraordinary. 

In a time of Advent, at the darkest part of the year, Tekla Arts and Marcel Music celebrate a new light, even as a troubled world waits on an uncertain future.

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Runtime: 2 hours 30 minutes (including interval)

Age recommendation: 7+

Please note there is no assigned seating for this event. 

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