Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, István Várdai and Kirill Troussov

The Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1963 by former students of the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest. Over the past half century, the orchestra has established itself as one of Hungary’s leading ensembles, recognised for its stylistic versatility and expressive clarity. The artistic direction of the orchestra was taken over in 2020 by István Várdai, a cellist, conductor and lecturer at the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts, who has collaborated with musicians such as András Schiff, Gidon Kremer and Mischa Maisky and recorded several albums for prestigious labels. On this occasion he collaborates with the Munich-based violinist Kirill Troussov, who was supported and guided at a young age by the great Yehudi Menuhin and today performs with leading orchestras, gives masterclasses throughout the world and records for EMI and Warner Classics.

The evening opens with the sparkling overture from The Marriage of Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a piece whose energy and elegance make it one of the most spirited orchestral openings of the 18^th century. This is followed by the famous Violin Concerto in E minor by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, one of the most popular works in the Romantic repertoire, featuring Kirill Troussov as soloist. After the interval the members of the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra perform Variations on a Rococo Theme by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, a stylistic homage to the age of Mozart. The final part of the evening emphasises the orchestra’s Hungarian temperament and flair, with brilliant orchestral arrangements by Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms, whose rhythmic vitality brings the concert to a vivid close.