Franco-Swiss violist Mathis Rochat presents British repertoire for viola and orchestra, pairing William Walton’s well-known Concerto with rarely recorded works by Herbert Howells and Arthur Benjamin. Featuring violinist Abigél Králik, and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under the direction of Howard Griffiths, the programme highlights romantic styles and lesser-known voices within the first half of 20th-century British music.

Mathis Rochat is a Franco-Swiss violist acclaimed for his expressive depth, stylistic versatility, and inventive approach to both core and transcribed repertoire. Praised for his “rich and subtle viola sound” and “marvelous poetic imaginative power” by Bieler Tagblatt, he is recognised as “one of the most promising and creative violists of his generation” by Concerti.de. His recent recording Rachmaninoff Stories was lauded by Klassik Heute for its “generous, gorgeous tone” and “stunning virtuosity,” while BBC Music Magazine highlighted his “warm timbre” and poetic interplay. In his latest concerto release, The Strad praised his “infectiously enthusiastic playing,” noting his “crisp spiccato” and “endlessly inventive phrasing” – hallmarks of a musician who combines refined technique with interpretive daring.

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) is one of the UK’s most versatile orchestras, with a varied range of work as both a broadcast orchestra and national symphony orchestra of Wales. The orchestra’s adventurous programming is driven by principal conductor Thomas Søndergård and conductor laureate Tadaaki Otaka; the Welsh composer Huw Watkins is the orchestra’s composer-in-association. Generously supported by the Arts Council of Wales, and part of BBC Wales, BBC NOW is orchestra-in-residence at Cardiff’s St David’s Hall, and performs a busy series of live concerts throughout Wales and the UK, with almost all of its performances heard on the BBC.