2. Philharmonisches Konzert - Meister der Mandoline

In the organizer's words:

Master of the mandolin

Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra
Ariel Zuckermann Conductor
Avi Avital Mandolin | Artist in Residence

Antonio Vivaldi
Concerto in D major RV 93
Fazıl Say
Mandolin Concerto
Francis Poulenc
Sinfonietta FP 141

Avi Avital describes Antonio Vivaldi's mandolin concertos as "the Old Testament of my instrument". The mandolinist recorded some of them, including the D major Concerto RV 93, around ten years ago - and received excellent reviews for them. The baroque masterpiece is followed by a leap in time of almost 300 years: with a piece that Fazıl Say composed very recently for Avi Avital. The commissioned work was created in close collaboration, with the Turkish pianist and composer having long been on the mandolinist's wish list because "the integration of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean music is part of his musical language". "In this respect, we are both very similar as artists," says the artist in residence for the 2025/2026 season. The result is a work that is tailor-made for the Israeli musician's artistic personality. "When I look at the sheet music, I recognize a lot of myself in it," he says of the new mandolin concerto, with which he has once again expanded the repertoire for his instrument. The conductor Ariel Zuckermann is not only a friend of Avital's on the podium of the Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra, but also his preferred candidate to conduct the 2nd Philharmonic Concerto. "I have known him for many years and have often played with him," says Avital. "He has exactly the right temperament for this kind of music."

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