A dazzling instrumental program awaits: first up is Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D Major, composed in 1806 during a particularly prolific period for the German master. The concerto was commissioned by and dedicated to Franz Clement, a leading violinist of the day, but the first performance was unsuccessful due to a lack of rehearsal. It is rumored that Beethoven finished the solo part so late (two days before the premiere!) that Clement had to sight-read part of his performance. For three decades, the work remained in obscurity, until revived in 1844 by 12-year-old violinist Joseph Joachim with the orchestra of the London Philharmonic Society conducted by Felix Mendelssohn. It now stands as one of the most popular and regularly performed violin concertos. The Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra then take on Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95, "From the New World": a masterpiece that similarly shattered conventional notions of instrumental music. Written while the composer was living in New York City, the symphony blends Bohemian, German, French, and Old World musical styles to reflect upon his American setting. A reporter for the New York Herald hailed the work as "a noble composition…of heroic proportions," and the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra’s beautiful rendition definitely does it justice!

Photos: Nayden Todorov © Rudy Bezhev / Elias David Moncado © Zuzanna Specjal