Currentzis / Kelemen / Utopia Orchestra

It is always a special celebration when orchestras from abroad come to Müpa Budapest, as these visits are electrifying experiences, offering a chance to encounter the performance culture of another country. This time, however, the experience promises even more excitement than usual, as not only is the ensemble an international one, they will also be playing under the baton of their founder, with Hungary's world-famous violinist Barnabás Kelemen serving as the soloist! But the concert by Teodor Currentzis and the Utopia Orchestra has even more to promise than this: if we factor in the programme itself, consisting of two exceptional masterpieces of the Romantic concerto and symphonic literature, it becomes obvious that this evening is not to be missed.

A unique path in life and an extraordinary personality. Born in Athens, the Greek conductor has been considered something of an enfant terrible of the classical music world in recent years. He has attracted attention not only with his extravagant appearance, but also by bucking tradition by dispensing with a podium to conduct his orchestra from. Even his life has taken an unconventional path, starting with piano studies, followed by the violin, and later by training in music composition. He learned conducting not in his native country, but at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in the '90s. After tackling assignments in Russia (at the opera houses of Novosibirsk and Perm), he was invited to conduct the Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra. He then went on to found his own ensemble, the Utopia Orchesta, which operating as an independent entity seeks to gather special talents from all over the world. Comprising the first part of their concert at Müpa Budapest will be Brahms's Violin Concerto, a favourite with the Hungarian audience, featuring as the soloist the exceptionally virtuosic and incomparably evocative Barnabás Kelemen. After the intermission, we will hear another large-scale work: Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5, rich in emotions and passions. A Romantic evening in the spirit of maximalism!

Conductor: Teodor Currentzis

Featuring:
violin: Barnabás Kelemen
Utopia Orchestra

Presented by: Müpa Budapest, Festival Academy Budapest