Violin soloists Harriet Mackenzie and Philippa Mo, who met as students at the Royal Academy of Music, are the latest guests of The Bushey Symphony Orchestra.

These exciting young musicians formed the duo Retorica in 2007 to explore their passion for contemporary music, as well as the wealth of rarely heard repertoire for two violins.. Since they started performing together, highlights of their performing schedule include recitals at the Barbican Centre as part of the Park Lane Young Artists Series Mostly Mozart Festival, at Goldsmith’s Centre for Russian Music and tours of Greece and China.

Music has been written and dedicated to the duo by such eminent composers as John McCabe, David Matthews and Dmitri Smirnov.

The programme will feature two hugely popular masterpieces: Dvorak’s fabulous Ninth Symphony From the New World and a suite of Grieg’s incidental music to the play Peer Gynt. The concert will also include Holst’s rarely heard Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra.

The New Year concert, conducted by music director George Vass, takes place on Saturday, January 21 at 7.30pm at Bushey Academy, London Road, Bushey. Details: 01923 774229.