It is as if the world-famous orchestra of the smallest Benelux state were attempting to illustrate the very principle of internationality: the concert begins with a work by Hungarian composer Judit Varga - Müpa Budapest's composer of the season - and then continues with a percussion concerto by Icelandic composer Daniel Bjarnason, with Austrian guest international star Martin Grubinger serving as the soloist in the latter. After the interval, the colours of Russian Post-Romanticism will come to life in Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade. And who could conduct such a multicultural concert other than the orchestra's Spanish artistic director, Gustavo Gimeno?
The Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg was founded in 1933 and functioned as a radio orchestra until 1995. Since then, the ensemble, which has been directed throughout its history by conductors such as Károly Melles, Leopold Hager and Emmanuel Krivine, has been financed through a foundation. Vienna-based Judit Varga has been enjoying ever greater success across Europe, with performances of her new works proving to be prestigious events in the music world. In choosing to write a percussion concerto, Iceland's Daniel Bjarnason chose one of the most exciting genres in contemporary music, because the rich set of tones on offer from the instrument family includes both those with a range of pitches and others which we would think of as being simply dashes of colour or part of the rhythmic structure. Austrian Martin Grubinger is a percussion wizard: his virtuoso and evocative playing has entranced the Müpa Budapest audience at his previous guest appearances as well. Valencia-born Gustavo Gimeno counts such maestros as Mariss Jansons, Bernard Haitink and Claudio Abbado among his former mentors. Now in his mid-forties, the artist has headed Luxembourg's orchestra since 2015.
Judit Varga: stars buried deep - world première
Daniel Bjarnason: Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra - Budapest première
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade
Conductor: Gustavo Gimeno
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