Born in Riga in 1947, Gidon Kremer is not only one of the leading violinists in the world, but also – thanks to his unquenchable curiosity and search for new impulses – one of the most fascinating musical personalities of our time. His repertoire ranges from Bach to the present, whereby a number of contemporary composers have achieved international recognition through his commitment. Since 1997 Kremer has devoted a large part of his activities to the chamber orchestra Kremerata Baltica, which he founded. The ensemble consists of young musicians from the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The average age is 25. The debut of the chamber orchestra in February 1997 corresponded with the 50th birthday of its founder Gidon Kremer. With this orchestral project, Kremer wants to pass on his artistic experiences to young musicians of his native country and to draw international attention to the outstanding musical situation of the Baltic nations. The Kremerata Baltica performs in all of the world’s major musical venues.
LSO: Kirill Karabits conducts Bartok & Rozsa
Kirill Karabits conducts Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra – plus a rare performance of the Violin Concerto by Bartók’s fellow-Hungarian (and Hollywood legend) Miklós Rózsa. New worlds for old: from exile in America, Béla Bartók and Miklós Rózsa both longed for their native Hungary. Bartók imagined the nocturnal sounds of the Great Hungarian Plain, and transformed them into a defiant shout of hope and joy for a virtuoso orchestra. Rozsa, meanwhile, took time out from Hollywood to write a violin concerto that sings, dances and positively smoulders. It all adds up to a fabulously red-blooded evening of music from Kirill Karabits and LSO leader Roman Simovic: expect dark secrets, untamed melodies, and folk-rhythms in the raw. But it’s also a portrait of two composers grappling with the 20th century on their own, undaunted, terms. Today, Rózsa is still probably best known for classic film scores like Ben-Hur and Lust for Life: this rare performance of his Violin Concerto shows that even without the pictures, he can hold an audience spellbound.