Concert Review: The Hallé with Euan Shields at the Royal Concert Hall

Euan Shields cut a youthful, even slight, figure as he took the stage, but lost no time in connecting with the audience and establishing a confident and meticulous podium presence. Winner of the Siemen’s Hallé International Conducting Conpetition in 2023 and subsequently appointed as their Assistant Conductor, his chemistry with the orchestra is palpable. His conducting style is fluid and intuitive. At such time as current Principle Conductor Kahchun Wong moves on, could Shields be the next leader of the Hallé? I’d like to think so. He certainly has the talent.

Addressing the audience to introduce the first piece - Janacek’s three-movement suite ‘Taras Bulba’, a concert hall rarity - Shields identified the work, an interpretation of Gogol’s novella, as relevant to the current socio-political situation. A tale of conflict, heroism, love, sacrifice and the evergreen hope of a better future, Shields and the Hallé balanced dark foreshadowing, sweeping romanticism and grim urgency. I’d wager that it was a piece many were experiencing for the first time, but the response was as enthusiastic as if they’d delivered an old favourite in fine style. Speaking of which …

Violinist Simone Lamsma, no stranger to Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall, joined the orchestra for a propulsive account of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. An unashamed showpiece, this perennial crowd-pleaser can nonetheless come to feel a little by-the-numbers, particularly once the first movement has exhausted its big tune. Lamsma went at it with the clear intent of putting flamboyance and excitement centre stage, but what made it interesting was the approach Shields took, tempering the Hallé so that their reflective accompaniment served equally as counterpoint. A few knowing looks between maestro and soloist sealed the deal, and Lamsma left the stage to rapturous applause.

Sticking with the Eastern European theme, the evening concluded with Dvořák’s Eighth Symphony. Bridging the gap between the soulful internal soundscapes of the Seventh and the huge vistas of the New World Symphony, the Eighth moves from widescreen grandeur to finely nuanced introspection. The brass chorale that opens the final movement is as compelling and dramatic as anything in Bruckner. To say that Shields and the Hallé did it justice would be an understatement. The last time I saw the Eighth live was in London, in a performance by one of the city’s most renowned orchestras under the baton of an internationally famous maestro then in the twilight of a five-decade career. That was good; Shield and the Hallé were better. Shield and the Hallé achieved perfection. 

The Hallé played the Royal Concert Hall on Thursday 4 June 2026.