Departing from the standard concert repertoire, this program is dedicated to the symphonic genre in its infancy. Under the artistic direction of violinist Julien Chauvin, a specialist in historically informed performance of 17th- and 18th-century music, we explore key markers of the pre-Classical era.

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, the most famous son of Johann Sebastian Bach, belonged to a generation that painstakingly helped usher music from the ornate world of the late Baroque into the clarity of early Classicism. We explore his gracious Empfindsamkeit style in the Hamburger Symphony and the Flute Concerto in D minor. The soloist is Ana Kaličanin Radivojević, former Principal Flute of the Belgrade Philharmonic – now holding the same position in the Tonkünstler orchestra in Vienna.

With a staggering 108 symphonies to his name, papa Haydn earned the indisputable title of father of the symphony. Over more than three decades of his dedication to writing symphonies, he shaped the genre through countless innovations, more than can fit into one concert evening. We highlight two favorites: Symphony No. 39, nicknamed Tempesta di mare (Sea Storm) for its tempestuous Sturm und Drang character, and the famous Farewell Symphony (No. 45), a poignant and witty masterpiece.