Concert Programme
L. van Beethoven. Violin Concerto in D major, op. 61 (with Alfred Schnittke’s cadenza)
G. Verdi. Overture from the opera “Nabucco”
G. Verdi. Act I chorus from the opera “Nabucco”
G. Verdi. “Gypsy Choir” from the opera “Il trovatore”
G. Verdi. “Witches Chorus” from the opera “Macbeth”
G. Verdi. Chorus “Zitti, zitti“ from the opera “Rigoletto“
G. Verdi. Finale of Act II of the opera “La forza del destino”
G. Verdi. “Auto-da-fe” scene from the opera “Don Carlo”
G. Verdi. “Slave Chorus” from the opera “Nabucco”
G. Verdi. Finale of Act II of the opera “Aida”
Critically acclaimed as one of today's most prominent performers, violin virtuoso Vadim Gluzman breathes new life and passion into the golden violin tradition of the 19 th and 20 th centuries. The Ukrainian-born artist spent most of his childhood in Riga, where he began learning to play the violin at the age of seven. Later, having moved to Israel with his parents, V. Gluzman continued his studies with the famous violin professor Yair Kless, and later with the legendary Isaac Stern, who became one of V. Gluzman's most important teachers and mentors. This was followed by studies in the USA, at the prestigious Juilliard School of Music, and worldwide fame. At the age of just 21, V. Gluzman began performing all over the world. The violin virtuoso's extensive repertoire can be heard with the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston, Paris, Chicago, the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Leipzig Gewandhaus and other world-renowned symphony orchestras. The artist's recordings have won numerous awards, including Diapason d'Or, Gramophone, BBC Music Magazine, Classica Magazine, Classic FM, The Strad and others. V. Gluzman plays a 1690 Antonio Stradivari violin that belonged to the legendary Hungarian violinist Leopold Auer. This evening, the soloist will perform Ludwig van Beethoven's (1770–1827) Violin Concerto in D major. For more than 200 years, this work has been recognized as one of the greatest works ever written for the violin.
In the second part of the concert, the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by its artistic director and chief conductor Gintaras Rinkevičius, together with the Kaunas State Choir (director Robertas Šervenikas) will invite the audience to hear the most famous works from the treasury of choral works by the Italian operatic genius Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901). The concert will feature the most beautiful choruses from the incomparable opera masterpieces “Nabucco”, “Il Trovatore”, “Macbeth”, “Rigoletto”, “La forza del destino”, “Don Carlo” and "Aida". G. Verdi's uniqueness, unmistakable style and genius still manage to touch the hearts of today’s listeners – we will invite you to admire these traits in tonight's concert.