Maxim Vengerov Returns to InClassica for Performance with Russian National Orchestra

InClassica 2021 is the biggest and most ambitious music festival to ever take place in the Middle East, welcoming a staggering 37 world-renowned soloists, 7 celebrated orchestras and 11 leading conductors to Dubai for a 30-day celebration of sublime musicianship, world-class performance and international collaboration. InClassica is pleased to present the biggest names in classical music today, featuring performers from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas, for an unrivalled programme of phenomenal concerts taking place at the Dubai Opera and Coca-Cola Arena. The festival features a range of music from distinguished historical European composers, as well as works from the event’s Composer-in-Residence, Alexey Shor. 

Last night at InClassica

Adventures in Music with Maxim Vengerov
Coca-Cola Arena

For this very special concert, world-renowned master of the violin, Maxim Vengerov, joins the Russian National Orchestra for an expansive programme of music traversing rich and colourful soundscapes. Directed by Sergey Smbatyan, these iconic performers will begin the concert with Massenet’s emotionally powerful Meditation from the opera Thaïs, before journeying into the imaginative and reflective sound world of contemporary composer Alexey Shor. The first half of the concert ends with Ravel’s Tzigane, an exotic and virtuosic rhapsody that begins with an extended passage for solo violin before the joyous addition of the orchestra later in the work, before the return of the orchestra after the interval to perform Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No.2 in E Minor. The symphony is characterised by the composer’s masterful orchestration and effortlessly melodic writing, yet demonstrates a startling inventiveness from the work’s dark opening. The second movement displays a direct yet almost playful character, with the third known for its haunting beauty supported by lush string writing and rich textures. After a brief sojourn following its flourishing start, the energetic fourth and final movement ascends inexorably to a thrillingly grand conclusion, leaving audiences in no doubt as to the composer’s masterful skill and boundless creativity that is such a defining feature of his work. 

Maxim Vengerov (violin)
- "Alexey Shor is the Composer-in-Residence of our festival, and today we performed his 'Seascapes' together with the Russian National Orchestra. Today's programme at first glance seems to be composed of light classical music, but it is not so; it is deep, but at the same time it is perfect for exploring academic music. I felt that the audience was unfamiliar with many things, but it was clear that people were touched, because it is impossible not to love Rachmaninov. I myself also love Ravel's "Gypsy" very much, I have been performing it since I was 13, I also often play Massenet in the final of the concert.

- “Dubai is a city where an unprecedented rise in financial and commercial activity has been taking place over the past few years and now culture is being brought to a new level here — thanks to events such as InClassica and other projects of the European Foundation for Support of Culture. I hope this will not be an isolated case, and there will be a continuation. More than 100 nationalities live here, this is a new world that is open to everything."

Sergey Smbatyan
 - “It was a wonderful pleasure to perform with my dear friend Maxim Vengerov once again. We have played many times together but it is always special to share the stage with him. The concert was great I thought; the orchestra delivered an impeccable performance and it was a wonderful experience to collaborate with them today. We had a very interesting programme for the audience with Maxim performing three incredible pieces, and then the beautiful Rachmaninoff 2nd Symphony for the second half, and from what I could hear everyone loved it very much, which is very good of course. It’s been amazing taking part in so many concerts here at InClassica. I’ve got one last concert tomorrow and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Quotes From Those in Attendance: 

“It is such an honour to be able to witness Maxim Vengerov performing live. He is such an impeccable talent; it really was magical to hear him” — audience member

“Amazing concert. Everyone was just wonderful. I really liked the programme they gave tonight, and it’s really great to see such amazing musicians performing here in Dubai” — audience member

“This was actually my first classical music concert. I really enjoyed it, even more than I thought I would to be honest, and I’ll definitely be back for more!” — audience member 

Tonight at InClassica*

Heroes’ Triumph
Coca-Cola Arena

Join the talented Sergey Smbatyan live in Dubai for one of the final concerts of the 2021 InClassica Festival. Under his baton, the Russian National Orchestra interprets works by Wagner and Shor in the company of two great soloists: cellist Alexander Kniazev and pianist Mikhail Pletnev.

The evening begins with Wagner's mythical symphonic poem Siegfried-Idyll, a gift to the composer's wife Cosima after the birth of their son Siegfried, after which the evening continues with performances of two works by the festival’s Composer-in-Residence, Alexey Shor. 

Alexander Kniazev closes the first half of the evening with a performance of the composer’s Cello Concerto No. 2, a work that was in fact first premiered in June of this year with the same orchestra and conductor. Finally, superstar pianist Mikhail Pletnev makes his entrance to tackle From My Bookshelf, a suite of eight piano pieces that serve as a tribute to various notable literary characters, and specially edited by the pianist himself.

 - Alexander Knyazev (cello)

 - Mikhail Pletnev (piano)

 - Sergey Smbatyan

 - Russian National Orchestra

*Full details (including quotes from performers and attendees) will be available tomorrow. For any enquiries regarding tonight’s performance, please contact us.

Organised by the European Foundation for Support of Culture and SAMIT Event Group, the 2021 Edition of the InClassica International Music Festival is currently underway, with daily concerts taking place until the 26th of September. For more information or to book tickets, please visit the official website at inclassica.com.