Concert Pulse
This season
In Hamburg
In Hamburg
Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra / Midori / Christoph Eschenbach
Elbphilharmonie, Großer Saal (Hamburg)
In 1986, a 14-year-old Japanese violinist from the Juilliard School of Music in New York, who was still relatively unknown in Europe at the time, made her way to Schleswig-Holstein to perform three sonata recitals. Midori’s brilliantly successful debut was followed by almost 30 acclaimed performances at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival over the years – and so of course her name cannot be missing from the programme of the 40th edition of the festival. The pianist and conductor Christoph Eschenbach, who is closely associated with her, also took part in 1986 and can be described as a true veteran, having given over 200 concerts at the festival since then. In his reserved and distinguished manner, he has shaped the fortunes of the festival – and in particular the festival orchestra, of which he has been Principal Conductor since 2004 – like no other. The 85-year-old conductor describes the international orchestra as his wellspring of youth: every summer he meets highly talented, enthusiastic young instrumentalists here. And they are particularly looking forward to rehearsing Bruckner’s Fifth Symphony, one of the maestro’s favourite pieces, for the festival’s anniversary.