April is a busy month for Rome's Accademia Nazionale di S. Cecilia at Auditorium Parco della Musica.

S. Cecilia's April programme begins with a series of concerts conducted by Daniele Gatti, from 31 March until 2 April.

Cellist Kian Soltani plays Shostakovich's concerto for cello and orchestra with the S. Cecilia Orchestra conducted by Gatti. The programme also includes the Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz.

From 7-9 April, Semyon Bychkov. The Saint-Saens concerto no 3 for violin and Brahms symphony no 4 are part of the programme.

On 11 April, Grygory Sokolov plays music by Beethoven, Brahms and Schumann.

Michele Mariotti conducts the S. Cecilia Orchestra with pianist Alessandro Taverna, from 14-16 April, with music by Prokofiev, Britten (concerto for piano) and Tchaikovsky.

The Orchestra Roma Sinfonietta, conducted by Francesco Lanzillotta, performs two operas with texts by Bruno Cagli, a former president of the Accademia S. Cecilia, on 21 April. L'Ultimo Avventore by Lucio Gregoretti and the premiere of Dimenticanza al Ministero delle Colonie by Marco Betta. In collaboration with Rome's University of Tor Vergata.

From 22-23 April, Antonio Pappano conducts the S. Cecilia orchestra and chorus performing Puccini's Messa di Gloria, Ponchielli's Elegia and De Sabata's Juventus, a symphonic poem for orchestra. With Saimir Pirgu tenor and Mattai Olivieri baritone.

From 28-30 April, the S. Cecilia Orchestra is conducted by the Finnish conductor Sakari Oramo performing Ciel d'Hiver by the Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, violin concerto n 2, I Profeti, by Castelnuovo-Tedesco (played by violinist Emmanuel Tjeknavorian) and Schumann's Symphony no 1, Primavera.

For full details about concerts and tickets see the S. Cecilia website.