Canberrans will have the rare chance to hear an iconic Stradivarius violin played onstage this week.
The Young Soloists, a globally acclaimed ensemble of young virtuoso musicians, will make their debut at the Snow Concert Hall – Canberra Grammar School on Saturday 25 November.
Their artistic director, Alexander Gilman, will play a rare Stradivarius owned by Rodolphe Kreutzer, the French violinist and dedicatee of Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 9 (the Kreutzer Sonata), which will be performed.
The Strad, said to be Kreutzer’s favourite violin, is estimated to be worth around $30 million – 1.5 times the value of the hall it will be played in. Made in 1731, it is one of the best preserved Stradivariuses left.
“Sounds of such instruments are so incredibly beautiful and powerful, and the magic behind their stories remains one of the most fascinating and mystical fables, only adding to their enormous value,” Ana de la Vega, Snow Concert Hall’s artistic director, said. “It’s almost like walking on stage with a Rembrandt under your arm!”
The Young Soloists, founded in 2013, is an award-winning string ensemble made up of young musicians between the ages of 13 to 23 from more than 20 nations.
They were the first youth orchestra in the world to release its first album on Sony Music / RCA Red Seal, and Philip Glass recently wrote them a String Symphony. They sell out some of the most prestigious concert halls in the world such as the Vienna Musikverein, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and the Kennedy Center in Washington.
“The world’s most successful and extensively touring youth orchestra, comprised of the world’s finest young soloists, is poised to introduce their unique concept, boundless energy, and the highest musical mastery to Canberra for the very first time,” Mr Gilman said. “We can’t wait for our debut at the magnificent Snow Concert Hall.”
The concert will feature Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata; Max Bruch’s Kol Nidrei; and works by Paganini, Holst, and Bottesini.
“The Young Soloists blew my mind the first time I heard them,” Ms de la Vega said.
“They have an enthusiasm and energy that can only come with raw youth, coupled with a technical and musical mastery one expects of players twice their age. It’s a combination I’ve not found elsewhere around the globe. I am so excited to bring them to Snow Concert Hall and hopefully show Canberrans and young musicians what is possible, what is out there, and what dedication, hard work, and passion can bring in this art form.”
On Saturday morning, the LGT Young Soloists will host an educational “one-day orchestra” workshop for young classical music enthusiasts at Snow Concert Hall. The Young Soloists, with auditioned young Canberran string players, will rehearse and then perform to a public audience Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48.
Tickets for this musical event are available for purchase through www.snowconcerthall.com
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