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) pay 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) pay 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. A champion of lesser know Czech composers, Pesek will lead a concert which begins with music by a man considered to be the father of Czech opera, Bedrich Smetana.

Overtures to opera are usually written as something of an afterthought, but 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 was a piece that stands alone beautifully, yet still serves as a wonderful introduction to the work that made Smetana famous.

Max Bruch's passionate, gypsy-themed showpiece, Violin Concerto No.1 is one of the most popular violin concertos of all time. It will be performed by Charlie Siem, one of Britain's brightest young virtuosi, and a violinist who has been widely applauded for his flawless technique and intelligence.

The performance concludes with work by another Czech great - Dvorak's great symphonic masterpiece Symphony No. 9 - the New World Symphony. Having moved to New York to head the National Conservatory of Music, Dvorak produced a symphony drawn from disparate folk sources, but which served to legitimize American music.

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 is available providing tickets for all three concerts for �50.

Tickets for the CNSO concert are priced between �6 and �28 and are available from Theatre Royal Norwich on 01603 630000, the Hippodrome on 01493 844172 or Yarmouth Tourist Information on 01493 846346. Tickets can be booked online at hippodromecircus.co.uk

Full dates for the 2nd Great Yarmouth International Concert Series are:

Thursday 4 February: Czech National Symphony Orchestra

Sunday 21 March: Piano Recital by Nikolai Demidenko

Monday 26 April: European Union Chamber Orchestra