Kavakos, Bach and Brahms
Thu May 11 — Fri May 12, 2023
Orchestra Hall
Audience members and Minnesota Orchestra musicians alike are eagerly awaiting this special concert when violinist Leonidas Kavakos returns not only as guest soloist, but also as conductor. As a violinist, Kavakos is known around the world for his crystal-clear tone and ardent musical integrity. He leads the ensemble while playing the solo part in Bach’s Violin Concerto No. 1, a work that the composer himself likely performed in house concerts and at social gatherings. Then, stepping onto the podium, Kavakos guides the Orchestra through Brahms’ dramatic, grand, triumphant First Symphony.
A Few Things To Know
- Johannes Brahms felt extreme anxiety about composing symphonies in the wake of Beethoven’s incredible symphonic output. He struggled for more than two decades to complete Symphony No. 1. “I shall never write a symphony!” Brahms once told a friend. “You have no idea how it feels for someone like me always to hear such a giant as Beethoven marching along behind me!”
- Leonidas Kavakos recently performed the world premiere of a concerto written for him by composer Unsuk Chin. Chin had planned to write no more than one concerto for each instrument during her career, but after hearing Kavakos, she made an exception. Shards of Glass was premiered by the London Symphony and Sir Simon Rattle in January 2022.
Program
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BACH
Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052R
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BRAHMS
Symphony No. 1
Artists
Minnesota Orchestra
Leonidas Kavakos
conductor and violin
The Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra, founded in 1903 and led since its centennial by Music Director Osmo Vänskä, is recognized for distinguished performances around the world, award-winning recordings, radio broadcasts, educational engagement programs, and commitment to building the orchestral repertoire of the future. The Orchestra tours regularly throughout Minnesota and nationally, and has toured abroad in Australia, Canada, East Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and South Africa. Recording has been an important part of the organization’s mission since the 1920s. During Vänskä’s tenure, the Orchestra has undertaken acclaimed recordings, including complete cycles of symphonies by Ludwig van Beethoven, Jean Sibelius and—now underway—Mahler.
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