This Friday evening, conducted by Chung Min, the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra (SZSO) will present works by Beethoven and Mendelssohn. Beethoven represented the pinnacle of the Classical period, while Mendelssohn was one of the most celebrated Romantic masters in German musical history. The performance will also feature prize-winning German pianist Florian Uhlig.

In the first half of the show, Uhlig, who graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in London and regularly performs solo concerts in Europe and the U.S., will headline Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58.” This piece premiered in public in December 1808 in Vienna during a marathon concert that also featured the composer’s fifth and sixth symphonies. It was the last time Beethoven appeared as a concerto soloist. This grand piece, in three movements, is not only precise and formal in structure but also poetic and subtle in style. Unconventionally, it opens with the piano alone instead of the standard orchestral introduction.

The second half of the concert will feature Mendelssohn’s “Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 56,” also known as “Scottish.” Inspired by a tour to Scotland in 1829, this piece portrays the natural and cultural landscapes of the land. It opens with a vivid sketch of the misty moors, emphasizing its stormy weather. The simple main theme of the second movement reminds listeners of bagpipe tunes. The third movement revisits themes from the first movement, depicting a stern and robust landscape. The final movement, fast and warlike, evokes a picture of Highland clans engaged in battle. The symphony concludes with a solemn, hymn-like passage, culminating in a triumphant apotheosis.

Chung, 39, is a son of maestro Chung Myung-whun and currently serves as the music director of the Gangneung Philharmonic Orchestra in South Korea.

Time: 8 p.m., May 17

Tickets: 50-880 yuan

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, Futian District (深圳音樂廳)

Metro: Line 3 or 4 to Children’s Palace Station (少年宮站), Exit D