Conductor Gemma New and violinist Vadim Gluzman star in Euskadiko Orkestra’s new concert program.
The program titled “Los Viajes,” which will be offered from March 11-18 in the four usual capitals, will now be open to the mobility of each territory and will count on the expanded capacity to 600 people in San Sebastián and Bilbao.
Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2 and Schumann’s Symphony No. 3 “Rhineland” make up this program.
Following the great concerts offered in Pamplona and at Festival Musika-Música in Bilbao, under the direction of Semyon Bychkov, the orchestra continues its season with a new 10-concert program, beginning this Thursday at the Kursaal Auditorium in San Sebastián (March 11, 12 and 18, at 5:30pm and 7:30pm). It continues next week at Vitoria’s Teatro Principal (March 15, at 7:30pm); Pamplona’s Baluarte Auditorium (March 16, at 6:00pm and 8:15pm); and Bilbao’s Euskalduna Auditorium (March 17, at 7:30pm).
This new program will be led by Gemma New, one of the most promising young female conductors of today, who was just awarded the prestigious Sir Georg Solti Award. This award provides the largest grant in the U.S. for young American conductors. New is currently Music Director of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra and Resident Conductor of the St. Louis Symphony. She was additionally named Principal Guest Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, just before the pandemic. Her time with the Euskadiko Orkestra marks her Spain debut, and she is one of three female orchestral conductors invited this season, alongside Ruth Reinhardt and Anja Bihlmaier.
Joining Gemma New onstage in the first half of the program is one of the most famous violinists in the world: Vadim Gluzman. A regular soloist with major orchestras on the international scene (Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony and London Philharmonic, among others), the Israeli virtuoso joined the orchestra on its Central European tour two years ago, under the direction of Robert Treviño. He now returns to the orchestra under the baton of Gemma New to interpret Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2. This is considered one of the most lyrical and openly emotional works by the Russian composer, who wrote the piece shortly before moving to the Soviet Union. The concerto’s interpretation requires a masterful soloist, which is why the orchestra has chosen Vadim Gluzman. Following his ten concerts with the Euskadiko Orkestra, Gluzman will appear with Tugan Sokhiev and the Orchestra National du Capitole de Toulouse.
In the second half of the program, Gemma New will tackle Schumann’s Symphony No. 3 “Rhineland.” The German composer wrote this work shortly after moving to Dusseldorf and upon seeing the impressive Cologne Cathedral. A common thread of the symphony is the Rhine River, going through Rhineland. A magnificent and novel symphony for its time, the symphony is always worth listening to again and again.
