Celebrate Valentine’s weekend with a sophisticated serenade.

James Crabb is the undisputed superstar of the accordion. His virtuosity, flair and musical imagination transcends stereotypes – there’s simply nothing he can’t do on his instrument. And in this chamber concert with CSO musicians, the music will literally dance under his fingers.

The concert begins in Renaissance Spain with an irresistible toe-tapping passamezzo. Next stop, baroque Germany for a trio sonata by Bach, borrowed from organists and transformed for accordion, violin and cello. This is Bach in ‘galant’ mode, writing with a deft hand, and the result is as light and breezy as it is virtuosic. Rheinberger takes the concert into the 19th century with rich, Romantic harmonies, but his Suite in C minor is also a nod to Bach, evoking the dance movements of a baroque suite.

With Piazzolla we arrive in the sultry world of the nuevo tango and James has paired the yearning nostalgia of Oblivion with Libertango, an intoxicating ‘song of liberty’.