April 25, 2017
AUGUSTIN HADELICH RETURNS TO NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC TO PERFORM DVOŘÁK VIOLIN CONCERTO
Augustin Hadelich
Augustin Hadelich
Rosalie O'Connor

Augustin Hadelich, the 33-year-old violinist whose star continues to rapidly rise, will return to the New York Philharmonic for performances on May 25, 26 and 27, marking the Grammy Award-winner’s third appearance on the orchestra’s subscription series and seventh with the orchestra overall. He will perform Dvořák’s Violin Concerto in A minor with Czech conductor Jakub Hrůša at David Geffen Hall.

Augustin has performed the Dvořák Concerto with Hrůša twice previously: in his debut with the National Symphony Orchestra (Washington D. C.) in 2013, and with the Stuttgart Radio Orchestra in 2015, a performance noted for his “sleek and magnificently burgeoning tone” and “eminently noble treatment of lyricism” (Stuttgarter Nachrichten).

“The Dvořák concerto is a bold and unusual entry in the violin concerto repertoire and has been one of my favorites for many years,” comments Augustin. “Dvořák presented the work to Joseph Joachim who never played the work, a snub that might have set the precedent for the relative neglect of this work over the past century. With a few notable exceptions such as Nathan Milstein, many major violinists in the early 20th century did not have the Dvořák in their repertoire. Only recently have violinists finally raised the concerto to its rightful place as one of the great romantic violin concertos. It is often said that Brahms' violin concerto served as the main inspiration for the Dvořák, and his influence can be seen in many aspects, particularly in the concerto’s symphonic orchestration and in the many dialogues between the solo violin and the winds. There are echoes, as well, of Beethoven and Mendelssohn, the great role models for concerto composers in the 19th century. However, the Dvořák concerto may actually compare most favorably to Max Bruch's Concerto No. 1, especially in the likeness of form. The Bruch was premiered only 10 years earlier, in 1866, and quickly became (and remains) one of the most popular works for violin. Like Bruch before him, Dvořák begins his concerto with two free, rhapsodic cadenzas before the main part of the movement starts. He also shortens the first movement, cutting out the cadenza and recapitulation, instead transitioning directly into an expansive slow movement, another innovation of Bruch’s. I love the slow movement of the Dvořák concerto, which reminds me of an idyllic Czech countryside and features some beautiful writing for the horns. The last movement is a furiant with a dumka in the middle and a lot of fun for everyone involved.”

Augustin’s previous New York Philharmonic subscription series performances include Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5, “Turkish,” with conductor Manfred Honeck in 2015, and Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole under Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos in 2012, when Augustin “threw himself into the virtuosic solo violin part with a passion … [he] appeared undaunted by the technical challenges, bringing humor to the embellishments in the final movement and making the most of his instrument’s distinctive low range” (The New York Times).

Augustin has been a resident of New York since moving to the city in 2004 to attend The Juilliard School where he was a student of Joel Smirnoff. Born in Italy to German parents, he became a U.S. citizen in 2014.

An intensive international touring schedule takes Augustin throughout North America, Europe and the Far East, yet he remains a fixture on New York City’s cultural calendar. He has appeared on the Carnegie Hall stages more than a half dozen times, including the premiere of David Lang’s mystery sonatas in Zankel in 2014, and his debut with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra last season in Stern Auditorium. Elsewhere in Manhattan, Augustin has made recital appearances at Town Hall, Rockefeller University and the Frick Collection, in addition to Carnegie Hall.

Away from home, Augustin enjoys repeat performances with every major orchestra in North America, including Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Minnesota, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Saint Louis, San Francisco, Seattle and Toronto. Overseas Augustin regularly performs with the BBC and London Philharmonic Orchestras, Danish National Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra and Salzburg Mozarteum. In recent seasons he has debuted with the Dresden, Hamburg and Munich Philharmonic orchestras, and, in February, made his debut with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, performing Bernstein’s Serenade with New York Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert conducting. His repertoire is vast, ranging from Adès to Paganini, Beethoven to Bartók.

In addition to his Grammy Award-winning recording for Henri Dutilleux’s violin concerto, “L’Arbre Des Songes” (The Tree of Dreams) with the Seattle Symphony and music director Ludovic Morlot (Seattle Symphony Media), Augustin’s distinguished discography includes the Gramophone Award-nominated “Concentric Paths” by Thomas Adès coupled with the Sibelius Violin Concerto (AVIE Records). He is currently recording Paganini’s 24 Caprices for Warner Classics, scheduled for release in early 2018.

Augustin plays on the 1723 “Ex-Kiesewetter” Stradivari violin, on loan from Clement and Karen Arrison through the Stradivari Society of Chicago.

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For further information, image or interview requests please contact Melanne Mueller, MusicCo International, +1 917 907 2785 or +44 (0) 7788 662 461, melanne@musiccointernational.com

For further information about Augustin Hadelich, please visit www.augustin-hadelich.com

CONCERT INFORMATION
Thursday, May 25, 2017 – 7:30 pm
Friday, May 26, 2017 – 2:00 pm
Saturday, May 27, 2017 – 8:00 pm

David Geffen Hall
10 Lincoln Center Plaza
New York, NY 10023

Augustin Hadelich violin
New York Philharmonic
Jakub Hrůša conductor

Antonin Dvořák (1841 – 1904) Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 53
Also on the program:
Leoš Janáček (1854 – 1928) Taras Bulba, Rhapsody for Orchestra
Dvořák Three Slavonic Dances

http://nyphil.org

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