 |
|
Afkham: emerging star conductor |
George-Emmanuel Lazaridis will solo in Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto in C Major. Turkish composer Ahmed Adnan Saygun’s Opus 14 Suite will open the concert.
Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet is a ballet based on William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet. It is one of the most popular ballets of all times, noted for its many famous melodies.
The love theme of Romeo and Juliet soars in an arch-like pattern that indicates warmth and desire, passion and grace.
Perhaps the most profound creation in the ballet, however, is the dark and tragic theme appearing in Juliet’s Funeral, whose shape is similar to the theme of love.
Afkham is rapidly establishing a reputation as one of the most sought-after conductors to emerge from Germany in recent years.
He was the first recipient of the Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award.
Afkham won the 2008 Donatella Flick Conducting Competition in London, resulting in him becoming the assistant conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra for two years.
Highlights for the season 2011-12 and beyond include debuts with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker, DSO-Berlin, Munich Philharmonic, Staatskapelle Dresden, NHK Symphony Tokyo as well as the Seattle and Houston Symphony Orchestras.
Afkham will also appear for return engagements with the Cleveland Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, Residentie Orchestra, Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Lausanne Chamber Orchestra.
Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto in C Major of 1797 was in reality his third.
He had written an unpublished piano concerto in E Flat Major, and his Second Concerto in B Flat Major was composed earlier but published later.
While much of its character can be traced to the first master of the piano concerto, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, its drive and virtuosity are characteristic of Beethoven.
Kurt Meister, executive director of the Qatar Philharmonic, said: “Just a week ago we had to suddenly arrange a solo pianist for Saturday’s concert. I was delighted to that a musician of such renown as George-Emmanuel Lazaridis was available on such short notice. Our audience enjoyed his Emperor Concerto, also by Beethoven, just a few months ago.”
The next performance of the Qatar Philharmonic will be on June 1, when Alastair Willis conducts Dmitri Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony and the world premiere of Abdullah El-Masri’s violin concerto.