The Staatskapelle Dresden traces its origins to a predecessor that was founded in 1543 by Maurice, elector of Saxony. Over the centuries, they have been associated with such musicians as Heinrich Schütz, Carl Maria von Weber, Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. In more recent years, they have worked alongside artists like Karl Böhm, Herbert Blomstedt, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Bernard Haitink and Fabio Luisi. All throughout, the orchestra has served as the Semperoper Dresden's instrumental ensemble as well. Both institutions have been headed by Christian Thieleman since 2012. Born in 1959, the German conductor studied viola and piano at Berlin's Hochschule für Musik before going on to work as an assistant to both Herbert von Karajan and Daniel Barenboim. Later on, his years at the head of Deutsche Opera Berlin and the Munich Philharmonic formed important chapters in his career. A regular guest in Bayreuth, Thielemann is also the artistic director of the Bayreuth Festival and the Salzburg Easter Festival. He frequently conducts both the Berlin and Vienna philharmonics, and his concerts are red-letter days all over the world.
Born in 1946, Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder is famed around the world for his performances of Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Brahms and is celebrated as a soloist and a chamber musician alike. Over the course of his career, he has worked alongside the world's greatest instrumentalists and conductors, a list of names that ranges from János Starker to Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

The concert will be preceded from 6.30 pm by a conversation entitled Prelude in the Auditorium, where ticket holders will be invited to get to know the performing musician and the works to be performed more closely.

Presented by: Müpa Budapest