Paul Hindemith and William Walton enjoyed a long friendship, and just a few months before Hindemith’s death in 1963 Walton celebrated the association with his orchestral Variations on a Theme of Hindemith, based on the principal theme of the slow movement of Hindemith’s Cello Concerto. Both works are expansive three-movement pieces, employing large forces - Walton’s concerto memorably includes a vibraphone, while Hindemith in his Finale gives the celesta an important role. As a contrast to these two powerful mid-century scores, Christian Poltéra also performs solo works by the two composers. He is supported by the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra (OSESP), widely acclaimed for its recordings of the music of Villa-Lobos, and for a performance (conducted by Frank Shipway) of Richard Strauss’ Alpensymfonie, which was nominated for a 2014 BBC Music Magazine Award.