GREAT Yarmouth's Edwardian Hippodrome Circus will reverberate again to the sound of one of Europe's finest orchestras on Thursday, February 4 when the Czech National Symphony Orchestra (CNSO) pays a visit to the town for a concert of iconic classical pieces.

GREAT Yarmouth's Edwardian Hippodrome Circus will reverberate again to the sound of one of Europe's finest orchestras on Thursday, February 4 when the Czech National Symphony Orchestra (CNSO) pays a visit to the town for a concert of iconic classical pieces.

Part of the International Concert Series organised by SeaChange Arts, the CNSO have emerged as one of the Czech's most brilliant orchestras under the baton of their charismatic leader, Libor Pesek.

With a conducting career spanning 50 years, Pesek was chief conductor and music director of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, where he remains conductor laureate.

Pesek will lead a concert which begins with music by a man considered to be the father of Czech opera, Bedrich Smetana.

Smetana was so taken with the story of the Bartered Bride that he wrote the lively prelude before beginning work on the rest of the opera. The result serves as a wonderful introduction to the work that made Smetana famous.

Max Bruch's passionate, gypsy-themed showpiece, Violin Concerto No.1 will be performed by Charlie Siem, one of Britain's brightest young virtuosi, and the performance concludes with work by another Czech great - Dvorak's great symphonic masterpiece Symphony No. 9 - the New World Symphony.

The series continues in March with a recital by Russian pianist Nikolai Demidenko and concludes in April with the European Union Chamber Orchestra and soloist Freddie Kempf.

A subscription offer includes tickets for all three concerts for �50.

CNSO tickets are �6-�28 from the Theatre Royal Norwich (01603 630000) the Hippodrome (01493 844172) or at bookings.yarmouth

hippodrome.co.uk