Strauss and Shostakovich

Stefán Jón Bernharðsson is among Iceland’s finest instrumentalists. In addition to leading the horn section of the Iceland Symphony, he performs regularly with ensembles such as the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and the Stockholm Philharmonic. On this programme he plays Richard Strauss’ Horn Concerto no. 1, written when the composer was only 18 years old and given as a birthday gift to his father, horn virtuoso Franz Strauss of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. 

Ásta Dóra Finnsdóttir is only 14 years old but is already recognised as one of Iceland’s most promising pianists. She made the world news at age 9, when a video of her performing Mozart on a public piano in London went viral on the internet, drawing millions of viewers. Her recording of Rachmaninoff’s Variations on a Theme of Corelli, broadcast on the Icelandic State Radio’s Channel 1 on New Year’s Day, drew well-deserved attention. In her debut with the Iceland Symphony, Ásta Dóra performs Shostakovich’s lively Piano Concerto no. 2, a youthful and jubilant work written by the composer for his young son. 

The programme concludes with another masterwork by Strauss – the tone poem Don Juan, based on the famous tale of the libertine who will stop at nothing to fulfil his carnal desires. It is widely considered one of the best pieces Strauss ever wrote. Outstanding orchestration and memorable themes are among the things that have made Don Juan a favourite with concertgoers for more than 130 years.