Das belgische Klarafestival gehört zu den spannendsten und renommiertesten Klassik-Festivals in den BeNeLux-Staaten. In seinem diesjährigen Eröffnungskonzert am 14.3. geht es höchst unheimlich zu: In Episoden aus Lenaus Faust greift der Fürst der Finsternis zur Geige, in Mozarts Klavierkonzert Nr. 15 gibt es einen teuflisch schwierigen Klavierpart zu bewältigen und schließlich werden mit Mendelssohns {…}
David Afkham has been announced as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Orquestra y Coro Nacional de España (Spanish National Orchestra and Chorus) from September 2019. This position will build on the success of his tenure as Principal Conductor of the orchestra since 2014, which has included critically acclaimed performances {…}
This week, David Afkham will make his debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducting a programme including Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor and Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 in C Minor. David will also make his debut with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra conducting Sibelius’ Violin Concerto with Blake Pouliot {…}
This week, David Afkham returns to Madrid to conduct Schoenberg’s epic Gurrelieder. The title, meaning “Songs of Gurre”, refers to Gurre Castle in Denmark. This is a large cantata for five vocalists, a narrator, chorus and symphony orchestra, and juxtaposes magic and myth in a late-romantic score of great colour and power. Further highlights this {…}
This week, David Afkham returns to Madrid to begin his fifth season as Principal Conductor of the Spanish National Orchestra & Chorus conducting Schoenberg’s epic Gurrelieder. Further highlights this season with the Spanish National Orchestra include performances of Haydn’s Die Schöpfung, Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 and Shostakovich Symphony No. 7. Semi-staged concert performances of {…}
This week, David Afkham conducts his first Bartók Bluebeard’s Castle, alongside the world premiere of Hector Parra’s Avant la fin… vers où? with the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España. Bluebeard’s Castle follows highly successful performances of other semi-staged works including Bach’s St Matthew Passion (2018), Elektra (2017), andDer fliegende Holländer (2016). Highlights as a symphonic guest conductor include debuts with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Montreal {…}