Dmitry Shostakovich’s Concerto for piano, trumpet and orchestra, performed by pianist Andreas Boyde and BPO trumpeter Aleksandar Solunac, is an interesting exception in the concertante literature owing to its treatment of two different solo instruments. However, the programme opens and closes with bird-related themes. The sounds of birds recorded near the Arctic Circle were incorporated into the score of contemporary Finnish composer Rautavaara, whereas the finale is reserved for the best-known bird in the history of music – Stravinsky’s Firebird.