Johan Dalene plays Korngold

"One of finest violin debuts of the last decade," wrote a critic from BBC Music Magazine of Johan Dalene's debut album. The Swedish virtuoso is only 22 years old and has already conquered the music world. The music magazine Gramophone put him on their list of ten classical artists who will shape music in the 21st century. In this concert Dalene performs the spectacular Korngold Violin Concerto, a captivating piece that shows all the best qualities of the soloist. 

Korngold had an active career as a film composer and the narrative power and colourful beauty of the Violin Concerto is easily a match for the cinematic medium when it comes to stimulating the listener's imagination. Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra is a no less inspired work. It makes relentless demands of every single player in the orchestra, bringing us everything from painful nostalgia to feisty dance movements. 

The opening piece on the concert is also one of imagination and energy: Samuel Barber's concert overture to Richard Brinsley Sheridan's play The School for Scandal. Barber wrote the piece while still a student, and it helped put the young composer on the map.

*Unfortunately conductor Roderick Cox had to cancel his performance with the Iceland Symphony. In his place we welcome Andrew Manze.