James Ehnes, Otto Tausk and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

The gifted Canadian violinist James Ehnes began playing the violin at the age of four and became a pupil of the legendary Canadian violinist Francis Chaplin at the age of nine. The latter provided Ehnes with considerable encouragement. James Ehnes won numerous competitions at an early age and started out as a concert violinist at the age of thirteen, when he performed with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal for the first time. Because of his virtuoso playing, flawless intonation and deep musicality, he is also praised as the "Jascha Heifetz of our time". The renowned Vancouver Symphony Orchestra from the Pacific west coast of Canada is a great orchestra that has been led by chief conductor Otto Tausk for many years. Tausk is originally from the Netherlands and, as conductor of the St. Gallen Symphony Orchestra, he also inspired music lovers in our region. Ludwig van Beethoven's monumental violin concerto brings together all the musical forces; it promises to be an event of superlatives. In the midst of the raging Second World War, Sergei Prokofiev composed his Fifth Symphony in B flat major, a key that particularly suits the martial brass sound. However, the Russian master did not want to glorify the war, but rather described the work as a triumph of the human spirit and thus created a resounding memorial to his unshakeable hope for the good. Program: Samy Moussa Overture Ludwig van Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major op. 61 Sergei Prokofiev Symphony No. 5 in B flat major op. 100