Immerse yourself in Bernstein’s iconic music and be swept into the world of two lovers.

Immerse yourself in this bold and vibrant programme, inspired by Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, and performed with the energy that only a youth orchestra can deliver.

Aku Sorensen makes his first live appearance with the Hallé Youth Orchestra since winning the 2026 Siemens Hallé International Conductors Competition. From feuding families to love’s young dream, Tchaikovsky’s Fantasy Overture is an epic opener. Lili Boulanger’s exquisitely beautiful D’un soir triste, one of her last completed works before her premature death, is truly moving.

Set in New York in the mid-1950s, Bernstein’s iconic West Side Story tells the story of Maria and Tony. The two fall in love but discover they belong to opposing gangs in the West Side. Can their bond overcome the prejudice of the Jets and the Sharks? From the finger snaps of the opening bars to the sweeping emotional finale, Bernstein’s fusion of jazz, Latin rhythms and symphonic power invites you to experience every soaring melody and thunderous climax as if hearing them for the first time.