Søndergård Conducts Enigma Variations
New! Saturday 2 p.m. start timeFri Jan 5 — Sat Jan 6, 2024
Orchestra Hall
Imagine if you were to create individual pieces of art in homage to each of your very closest companions and mentors. What would these “portraits” look or sound like? This is exactly what Edward Elgar did as he honored the important people in his life in each of the 14 variations of his Enigma theme. Hailed as “exceptional” and “mesmerizing” by the Star Tribune, violinist Augustin Hadelich returns to Orchestra Hall to play Benjamin Britten’s Violin Concerto. The concerts include Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Idyll, continuing the Orchestra’s championing of music recorded for its Listening Project initiative.
Program
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WALTON
Scapino
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BRITTEN
Violin Concerto
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COLERIDGE-TAYLOR
Idyll
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ELGAR
Enigma Variations
Artists
The Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra, led by Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård—who is serving as music director designate during the 2022-23 season—is recognized for distinguished performances around the world, award-winning recordings and broadcasts, educational engagement programs, and commitment to building the orchestral repertoire of the future. Founded in 1903, the Orchestra has an extensive history of touring throughout Minnesota, nationally and abroad, including high-profile visits in recent years to Cuba, Europe and South Africa. Recording projects undertaken in the past two decades include complete cycles of symphonies by Beethoven, Sibelius and Mahler, all recorded under Osmo Vänskä, who is now the Orchestra’s conductor laureate.
Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård, the newly announced 11th music director of the Minnesota Orchestra, will serve for the 2022-23 season as the ensemble’s music director designate before beginning his music director role in September 2023. He is the current music director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO), following six seasons as principal guest conductor. Between 2012 and 2018, he served as principal conductor of BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW), after stepping down as principal conductor and musical advisor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra.
Augustin Hadelich is one of the great violinists of our time. From Bach to Brahms, from Bartók to Adès, he has mastered a wide-ranging and adventurous repertoire. Often referred to by colleagues as a musician's musician, he is consistently cited worldwide for his phenomenal technique, soulful approach, and insightful interpretations.
Mr. Hadelich’s 2020/21 season culminated in performances of the Brahms Violin Concerto with the San Francisco Symphony, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. These were the first performances played by the full ensemble to a live audience in Davies Hall in 15 months. Mr. Hadelich’s 2021/22 season started off with a three-concert stunning debut with the Berlin Philharmonic (Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2). Shortly thereafter, came the European premiere of a new violin concerto written for him by Irish composer, Donnacha Dennehy. He will play the rescheduled world premiere with the Oregon Symphony in October of 2022. Other highlights of the 2021-22 season include being named Artist-in-Residence with the Frankfurter Museumsorchester, the continuation of his residency as Associate Artist with the NDR Elbphilharmonie/Hamburg, and debuts with L’Orchestre National de France, the Prague Radio Symphony, and the Warsaw Philharmonic.
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Additional services are available upon request.