Romantic composers on both sides of the Atlantic

On September 18 and 19, David Afkham joins forces with pianist Garrick Ohlsson and the San Francisco Symphony to explore the musical orbit of Robert and Clara Schumann. Robert’s Symphony No. 4 begins with a catchy rising-and-falling figure, the “Clara theme,” derived from one of Clara’s own piano compositions. Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 is both an elegy for Robert and a tender portrait of Clara. Also on the program, inspired by Ludwig van Beethoven, Unsuk Chin’s subito con forza pronounces itself forcefully and without reservation, painting with the bold brush strokes of the avant-garde.

He then returns to Europe to conduct the tenth season’s opening concert of the Würth Philharmoniker on September 26. Just like in its inaugural season in 2017/18, the evening will start with Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture. The emotional heart of the evening is Robert Schumann’s lyrical Cello Concerto, which combines delicate cantabile with inner tension, before the concert concludes with Brahms’ Symphony No. 3, a work full of warmth and melancholy. On the cello, Pablo Ferrández captivates the audience with his profound expressiveness and technical brilliance.