In June, UK audiences get a rare opportunity to hear an orchestral work by one of the leading stars of the next generation of American composers.

Born in California to a mother of mixed Peruvian/Chinese ancestry and a father of Lithuanian/Jewish descent, Gabriela Lena Frank has become known for a series of works exploring her multicultural heritage. Her viola concerto La Llorona is inspired by the various Latin American myths of the “crying woman”, who comes about as the result of a violent death. The work’s seven continuous movements form a portrait of the crying woman as she comes to terms with her new existence.

Renowned soloist Paul Silverthorne and the New Professionals Orchestra give the European Premiere of La Llorona at Hampstead Parish Church on June 7. For more information see www.newprofessionals.co.uk