Marta Gardolińska & Bomsori Kim

Jakub Hrůša, Bomsori Kim

»I love surprises and breaking with conventions, as long as they are subtle.« When it comes to developing dramaturgically sophisticated concert programmes, Jakub Hrůša always proves to be a creative mind and also enjoys experimenting. He is now combining two deeply profound musical creations: Charles Ives’ famous work from 1908 revolves around the question of existence. It ultimately remains unanswered in the room, and the magical piece ends on the exact same note with which Shostakovich»s Symphony No. 11 begins – so that the two compositions merge into one another impressively in our concert. The gripping symphony is subtitled »The Year 1905« and refers to the »St Petersburg Bloody Sunday« — but the work also reflects the just as tragic events of 1957 when it was written. Our Chief Conductor has selected the violin concerto by a composer who originated from his home town of Brno and had to seek refuge in exile in America: Korngold kept his head above water there by writing film music, which left traces in his violin concerto – for which we welcome Bomsori Kim as soloist. An exciting programme full of mesmerising undertow that is thought-provoking but also goes straight to the heart – especially through the conducting of Jakub Hrůša, who said of his favourite recipe: »It is important to find a balance in which you create with emotional charge and at the same time respect the craft. That’s when the best moments happen. And when the audience engages in this kind of valuable interaction, nothing stands in the way of happiness.«

Jakub Hrůša, Bomsori Kim

With nearly 7500 concerts in more than 500 cities and 64 countries, the Bamberg Symphony regularly tours the USA, South America and Asia as cultural diplomats for Bavaria and all of Germany. Our guest appearances in Asia in particular have a long-standing tradition: the first trip to China took place in 1986, followed by a tour to Taiwan in 1990. In Japan, we have already played a total of 125 concerts on 15 tours. This year, we are travelling to Japan, Korea and Taiwan again, where in the spring of 2023 we celebrated sensational success in front of sold-out halls. However, as a travelling orchestra, we are particularly committed to minimising the environmental impact of our tours and guest performances. For this reason, our travel planning in the current season also includes several residencies with more than one concert in one place. In Taiwan and Korea, we will again stay a few days longer to present education projects on location. We are compensating for our carbon footprint with climate protection projects that have a local impact and a positive side effect on society and the environment. As we did in 2023, we will be supporting a reforestation project in Seoul.

Chamber Orchestra – Bomsori Kim & Giorgi Kharadze