This evening, Associate Artist Ludovic Morlot returns to the BBC Philharmonic to lead them in a performance of Messiaen’s epic Des canyons aux étoiles....

The extraordinarily virtuosic pieces was written to commemorate the bicentenary of the American Declaration of Independence, and takes its inspiration from the vast natural landscapes of Utah’s National Parks. Featuring soloists Steven Osborne on the piano, and Martin Owen on horn, Messiaen faithfully recreates birdsong, the glow of the colourful rock formations, and the divine experience of immense solitude.

Morlot has previously recorded the work with Steven Osborne and Seattle Symphony, where he is Conductor Emeritus: