Great Violin Concertos: Dan Zhu Plays Szymanowski

EVENT DESCRIPTION

One of the most prominent Chinese artists on the international stage today, violinist Dan Zhu is celebrated for his “Truly brilliant, compelling, and polished” (Boston Musical Intelligencer) performances, and has appeared with top orchestras and conductors such as Boston Symphony Orchestra, Zubin Mehta, Christoph Eschenbach etc. In his début with Hong Kong Sinfonietta under the baton of Music Director Christoph Poppen, he will play Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto No 2 – a beautifully lyrical, rhapsodic and virtuosic work with enchanting folk undertones, originally written for legendary violinist Paul Kochanski. The concert will open with the Hong Kong première of acclaimed composer Valentin Silvestrov’s atmospheric Stille Musik, and conclude with Tchaikovsky’s timelessly captivating Symphony No 5.

Music Director/Conductor: Christoph Poppen
Violin: Dan Zhu

Programme

Valentin Silvestrov
Stille Musik (2002) (Hong Kong première)

Szymanowski
Violin Concerto No 2, Op 61

Tchaikovsky
Symphony No 5 in E minor, Op 64 

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

One of Hong Kong’s flagship orchestras, Hong Kong Sinfonietta has brought music closer to the community, and achieved significant local and international recognition for its passionate performances and innovative programming. The orchestra has collaborated with an illustrious array of international musicians and groups, including in recent years Ilya Gringolts, Martin Helmchen, Sergei Nakariakov, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Krzysztof Penderecki, The Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet and Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch.

Hong Kong Sinfonietta is a regular guest at international arts festivals and has toured 46 cities around the world. As an avid believer of keeping music alive and contemporary, the orchestra commissions and performs new works every year and ventures into new initiatives, recently receiving wide acclaim for its Back On Stage concert film series and becoming the first local orchestra to appear in cinemas. Following the success of the first edition in 2018, the orchestra organised the 2nd Hong Kong International Conducting Competition in 2023, attracting applications from 45 countries/regions around the world and providing an invaluable platform for young conductors to establish their careers.