Gosport violinist Lelde Katsakina has just been appointed leader of the Portsmouth Philharmonic Orchestra and will perform her first concert in the role this weekend.
She will even have a small solo – as part of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sherezade – in the concert which will also feature soprano Jennifer Parker Lummis and the premiere of a piece by Barbadian composer, and orchestra timpanist, Nathan R. Whitney.
Entitled a ‘A Journey Beyond Imagination’, the concert is on Saturday June 27 (7pm) at the Stubbington Community Centre and promoted by Monserrat Events. Tickets priced £15 for adults are on sale here.
As well as Parker-Lummis’s songs, there will be music by Rimsky-Korsakov and Dvorak and also a premiere of a piece called ‘Voyager’ by Nathan R. Whitney, who is from Barbados and studies at the University of Portsmouth.
Born in Latvia, Lelde moved to the UK in 2004. It is only in the past few years she has fully started playing again since moving to the area, joining the PPO in 2024. She replaced the retiring Colin Wilkins from April.
She said: “Colin explained to me the core principles and the reasons why the orchestra was set up. It was for people with maybe second careers or maybe retired or professionals or new players wanting to find like a playground.
“We come together and enjoy the music and play in concerts raising money for charity I thought that was a brilliant, brilliant cause. and this was a perfect fit.”
Founded in 2009 and supported by Bishops Printers, the PPO fundraises for local charities – raising more than £25,000 in that time - and this concert will be in aid of Motiv8, which works with young people in the area.
PPO I TV caught up with Lelde, when she took time out from rehearsals. The interview tells more of her upbringing, musical influences and her role in the concert. It can be watched below.