Gautier Capuçon plays Shostakovich

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Programme

SHOSTAKOVICH｜Festive Overture
SHOSTAKOVICH｜Cello Concerto no. 1
RAVEL｜La valse
RAVEL｜Pavane pour une infante défunte
RAVEL｜Boléro

2025 marks a double musical anniversary: the 150th birthday of Ravel and the 50th anniversary of the death of Shostakovich. This special French May Arts Festival concert opens with Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, under the baton of Austrian conductor Christoph Koncz. The debonair French cellist Gautier Capuçon takes centre stage for Shostakovich’s First Cello Concerto. Renowned for its demanding main cadenza written for the legendary Mstislav Rostropovich, this concerto is considered a pinnacle of the 20th-century cello repertoire. The concert concludes with three vibrant orchestral pieces by Ravel.

The concert runs approximately 1 hour 45 minutes with an intermission.

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) is one of the leading orchestras in Asia. The annual schedule focuses on symphonic repertoire, with conductors and soloists from all over the world. The HK Phil runs an extensive education programme, commissions new works, and nurtures local talent. The most recent recording project is Wagner’s Ring Cycle following the first-ever performances in Hong Kong of these four operas. In 2019, the HK Phil received the prestigious Gramophone Orchestra of the Year Award – the first orchestra in Asia to receive this distinction. With Music Director Jaap van Zweden since 2012, the HK Phil has toured to Europe, Asia, Australia, and on numerous occasions to Mainland China. Yu Long is the orchestra’s Principal Guest Conductor, while Lio Kuokman is the Resident Conductor of the HK Phil.