Story perspectives

Laura van der Heijden Shines in Sinfonia Cymru Performance

3/1/2026

Summary

Story summary

Laura van der Heijden, cellist and the 2025 Royal Philharmonic Society instrumentalist award winner, performed with Sinfonia Cymru.
She opened with fairytale-inspired pieces and then approached Dobrinka Tabakova's Cello Concerto.
The performance blended rhythmic intensity with lyrical depth, particularly in the concerto's movements.
In the second half, folk-inflected works led to Bartók’s Divertimento for Strings, completed just before World War II.
Sinfonia Cymru's playing was especially expressive.

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Story summary

Laura van der Heijden, cellist and the 2025 Royal Philharmonic Society instrumentalist award winner, performed with Sinfonia Cymru.
She opened with fairytale-inspired pieces and then approached Dobrinka Tabakova's Cello Concerto.
The performance blended rhythmic intensity with lyrical depth, particularly in the concerto's movements.
In the second half, folk-inflected works led to Bartók’s Divertimento for Strings, completed just before World War II.
Sinfonia Cymru's playing was especially expressive.