Laura van der Hejden plays Elgar with Cheltenham Symphony Orchestra

Cheltenham Symphony Orchestra's 2014 Cheltenham Series will reach a climax with a gala celebrity concert in the Town Hall, Cheltenham. In this major event the CSO, under their conductor David Curtis, are to be joined by Laura van der Heijden, the world-renowned cellist, in a performance of the concerto by Edward Elgar. Written in the aftermath of the Great War Elgar's concerto conveys both a yearning for what has been and the courage to look forward to what may be. It was his last major work.

In 2012 Laura was the winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition playing the Walton Cello Concerto. Since then she has launched a brilliant career with acclaimed performances both in the UK and abroad.

The concert opens with the lively Academic Festival Overture of Brahms and concludes with the Fourth Symphony of Tchaikovsky – drama and angst in equal proportions.