The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra will share the stage for the first time with celebrated violinist Christian Tetzlaff, under the baton of Hossein Pishkar, on Friday, December 12 (Kolarac Hall, 8 p.m.). The program features masterpieces by Britten, Bartók, and Stravinsky.

Three majestic composers, Benjamin Britten, Béla Bartók, and Igor Stravinsky, each reshaped twentieth-century music in their own distinct way. Britten’s Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, dedicated to his teacher, evoke a range of historical idioms through a neoclassical lens. Bartók’s Violin Concerto No.1, on the other hand, takes on an unusual sweetness, even sensuality, when played with the fluidity and serenity that Christian Tetzlaff brings to it (Classics Today).

It is precisely this interpretation by one of today’s most sought-after violinists that the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra’s audience will have the privilege of hearing on Friday. Christian Tetzlaff is considered one of the most compelling musicians on the international classical scene. His concerts often become profound experiences, revealing familiar masterpieces in an entirely new light. Alongside his astounding virtuosity, Tetzlaff is particularly admired for the powerful personal imprint he leaves on every performance.

The concert on Friday night is led by Hossein Pishkar, a young Iranian conductor well known to the Belgrade Philharmonic’s audience. His name already appears frequently on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, as well as Paris and Cologne Philharmonics. Under his direction, the program concludes with Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements, a powerful synthesis of the composer’s rhythmic brilliance cast in classical form with a distinctly modernist edge. Stravinsky drew on music originally written for a film adaptation of Franz Werfel’s novel The Song of Bernadette, noting that each episode of the symphony is tied to a cinematic impression of wartime.

Tickets for the Friday concert are available at the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra’s box office as well as online.