THE Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra begins March with a series of unashamedly popular concerts, conducted by Pete Harrison, featuring the music of John Williams and Hans Zimmer, two titans of film composition.

The final concert in the series is on Saturday 9th March at Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre.

The programme features music from the soundtracks of some of the most successful films of all time, including Star Wars, Gladiator, The Da Vinci Code, Schindler’s List, Harry Potter, ET, Batman Begins, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Last Samurai, Pirates of the Caribbean, Superman and many more.

On Wednesday 13th March, chief conductor Kirill Karabits will take the baton for Counterpoint Counterparts, featuring Bruckner’s Symphony No 5 and Mozart’s piano concerto No 23 with American pianist Awadagin Pratt. This programme is also being given at Portsmouth Guildhall on Thursday 14th.

Beethoven’s mighty 5th symphony is the main work at Poole Lighthouse on Wednesday 20th, with Mark Wigglesworth conducting. Ethan Loch (pictured) is the soloist in Chopin’s piano concerto No 2. This concert is also at Bristol Beacon on Thursday 21st and at the Hall for Cornwall in Truro on Friday 22nd.

One of the greatest choral works, Verdi’s Requiem, is at Exeter Cathedral on Saturday 16th, with Exeter Philharmonic Choir, conducted by Howard Ionascu, with soloists Judith Howarth, Marta Fontanals-Simmons, Oliver Johnson and Tristan Hamilton.

Pictured: Pete Harrison, photograph © Andy Holdsworth; Ethan Loch, © BBC, photograph by Dan Prince.