Felix Mendelssohn was a German romantic composer, one of the leaders of the early romantic movement, along with Schumann and Chopin. He was also responsible for the revival of the music of J.S.Bach in the 19th century.

As a composer, his music is very polished and charming, but sometimes lacking depth.  His overtures Fingal's Cave and the Hebrides are all-time concert favourites.  His incidental music for Midsummer Night's Dream, partly written while he was very young, and then completed much later in life, has fabulous orchestration, but with a very light touch, giving it a magical quality.

His violin concerto is one of the top 5 violin concertos in the world, a real favourite of concert audiences, especially noted for the wonderful lyrical quality of its slow movement.

His Italian Symphony successfully captures the warmth and jollity of an Italian holiday, and his Scottish Symphony evokes the jilting rhythms of Scottish folk tunes.

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