Conductor: Gábor Hollerung Soloist: Elena Bashkirova – piano János Vajda: Last Minute Tour – world première Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor, op. 54 R. Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, op. 40 The Dohnányi Orchestra Budafok, led by Gábor Hollerung, have in the past commissioned one of the wittiest of modern Hungarian composers János Vajda (who is celebrating his sixtieth birthday in 2009) to write them a new work. Last Minute Tour is the result of another commission. The beautiful melodies, dynamism and moving lyricism of the Piano Concerto in A minor by Robert Schumann has made it one of the most frequently performed concertos. The soloist will be Elena Bashkirova who is a regular guest with top orchestras. She has performed with Munich and Israeli Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris and Chicago Symphony Orchestra and worked with such leading conductors as Sergiu Celibidache, Pierre Boulez and Zubin Mehta. Besides the classical and romantic repertoire, she is a committed performer of 20th century music and has given many world premières. Luckily, Hungarian audiences are able to enjoy her artistry frequently. The Dohnányi Orchestra was formed in 1970 as a youth ensemble but has been professional since 1994. They close their programme with a highly demanding work. Richard Strauss wrote his symphonic poem Ein Heldenleben in 1898 and dedicated it to Willem Mengelberg and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra. It comprises of six movements formed into a single whole, with the aid of Wagnerian leitmotifs and swells into a monumental work. The sarcastic critic Claude Debussy wrote: “This work is a picture book or rather a film. But it has to be said that this composer, who has constructed a work so effectively, is close to being called a genius”.

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