The Belgrade Philharmonic gave a concert last night at Bulgaria Concert Hall in Sofia, under the baton of Uroš Lajovic, with pianist Lukáš Vondráček (28 October). The programme featured Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Konjović’s Symphony in C minor. Following their performance in the Bulgarian capital, the musicians will present the same programme at the 58th BEMUS Festival on 30 October.

The concert in Sofia marked the Belgrade Philharmonic’s highly anticipated return to the Bulgarian capital after 45 years. It also marked the orchestra’s first musical encounter with outstanding pianist Lukáš Vondráček, winner of prestigious international awards, who has been building an impressive international career for more than two decades. He has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras and some of today’s most distinguished conductors, including Marin Alsop, Paavo Järvi, Gianandrea Noseda, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Christoph Eschenbach, to name just a few. Together with the Belgrade Philharmonic, he performed Tchaikovsky’s celebrated Piano Concerto No. 1. Belgrade audiences have every reason to look forward to hearing him at the concert closing BEMUS on 30 October.

“Before meeting the Belgrade Philharmonic, I had heard fantastic things about this orchestra, which has an absolutely beautiful sound. The musicians play with great passion, tremendous energy and smiles on their faces. I cannot wait to share this divine Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto with the Belgrade audience,” said Lukáš Vondráček.

Under the baton of Uroš Lajovic, former Chief Conductor and Honorary Conductor of the Belgrade Philharmonic, the Sofia concert concluded with a performance of Petar Konjović’s Symphony in C minor. The first symphony in the history of Serbian music, the work offered the Bulgarian audience an opportunity to discover not only Konjović’s distinctive musical language but also the unmistakable Serbian musical character woven into the composition through motifs from Mokranjac’s Garlands (Rukoveti).