ARUTUNIAN | ELGAR | MAHLER

This evening, the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra will perform in the largest, over 100-person line-up. Among others, the monumental Symphony No. 1 "Titan" by Gustav Mahler will sound in the golden hall. Lovers of great symphonic works cherish the piece as it moves and intrigues, mainly due to the tremendous stylistic range. Attentive music lovers will also hear numerous musical quotes, for example, from the Dante Symphony by Liszt, Parsifal by Wagner or the famous Alleluia from the Handel's Messiah. Mahler himself did not hide that he drew from the musical heritage of his predecessors, comparing the process of composing "Titan" to a building made of blocks. This work opens the great symphonic oeuvre of Mahler, who, like Beethoven, left nine symphonies (the tenth remained unfinished).

The concert will also include Nimrod from Edward Elgar's Enigma Variations and the wonderful Concerto for trumpet and orchestra in A flat major by Armenian composer Alexander Arutunian. The incredibly talented Selina Ott will perform as the soloist.

In 2021, the artist received the Opus Klassik award for her debut album "Concerts for trumpet", recorded with ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna and conductor Robert Paternostro. In 2018, at the age of just 20, Selina Ott was the first woman in the 70-year history of the ARD International Music Competition in Munich to receive the 1st prize in the Trumpet Category.

At that time, she already had concerts as a soloist with the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev, Czech Philharmonic conducted by Semyon Bychkov, WDR Sinfonieorchester, Hamburger Symphoniker, Haydn Philharmonie, Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, Collegium Musicum Basel, Philharmonische Orchester Hagen, Kölner Philharmonie, Philharmonie Essen, Wiener Konzerthaus, Mozarteum Salzburg, Musikverein Wien, Rudolfinum Prag, Musical Theater Basel and Philharmonie Luxemburg.
Orkiestrą Teatru Maryjskiego pod dyrekcją Valerego Gergieva, Filharmonii Czeskiej pod dyrekcją Semyona Bychkova, WDR Sinfonieorchester, Hamburger Symphoniker, Haydn Philharmonie, Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, Collegium Musicum Basel, Philharmonische Orchester Hagen,, Wiener Konzerthaus, Mozarteum Salzburg, Musikverein Wien, Rudolfinum Prag, Musical Theater Basel i Philharmonie Luxemburg.

Despite her young age, the artist has already been awarded the first prize of the Austrian competition Prima la Musica eight times in the Trumpet Solo Category at the regional and national level and received the first 2017 Lions Music Prize. In June 2021, her album recorded with the pianist En-Chia Lin was released.

Throughout the evening, the Philharmonic Orchestra will be conducted by the excellent maestro Kensho Watanabe, who is considered one of the most versatile young American conductors. He is equally good at symphonic and operatic repertoire. Watanabe has worked on many operas with the Curtis Opera Theater, most recently Puccini's La Rondine in 2017 and La Bohemia in 2015, and a new production of Strauss's Electra at the Opéra de Montreal.