Richard Wagner’s (1813–1883) overture to his German romantic opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (1867) has become one of the most popular pieces in the concert repertoire. Gustav Mahler’s (1860–1911) Symphony No. 5 (1901/02) is regarded with similar affection. Before composing this large-scale, five-movement work, the composer suffered from a serious illness and was saved only by emergency surgery. Upon his recovery, he considered the composition to be a “return to life”. The piece’s most popular movement, the Adagietto, is a musical declaration of love to his partner Alma. The concerto that forms the centrepiece of the evening represents the great era of Romanticism. Robert Schumann (1810–1856) completed his three-movement Piano Concerto in A minor in 1845. On account of its richly emotional, poetic and passionate tone, it remains to this day one of the best-loved masterpieces of the Romantic concerto repertoire. The soloist for the evening, Dénes Várjon (born 1968), was the winner of the 1991 Géza Anda International Piano Competition in Zurich and has captivated audiences the world over with his virtuoso playing ever since. The conductor, the London-based Gergely Madaras (born 1984), has enjoyed great success in recent decades at the head of numerous Hungarian and international orchestras. He has served as Music Director of the Orchestre Dijon Bourgogne and Principal Conductor of the Savaria Symphony Orchestra. Most recently, between 2019 and 2025, he has occupied the helm of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Liège.

Presented by: Hungarian National Philharmonic