Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Teddy Abrams and Yuja Wang

The evening’s programme unfolds as a cross section of the diverse musical worlds of the 20^th century. The American tradition is represented by Aaron Copland’s suite Appalachian Spring, inspired by American history and simple spirituality. With his Piano Concerto, Samuel Barber emerges as a distinctive lyric voice and a leading traditionalist among American composers of his time. A bridge to earlier musical traditions is provided by Mutations on Bach, a sequence of transformations of a chorale theme from a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. French orchestral brilliance is brought to the fore in the glittering opening fanfare from Paul Dukas’s ballet La Péri, while the programme concludes with Jazz Suite for Piano and Orchestra by Alexander Tsfasman, one of the central figures of Soviet jazz, whose oeuvre combines classical form and jazz idiom.

Chinese-born American pianist Yuja Wang is characterised by an exploratory approach to a wide-ranging repertoire, bringing to it extraordinary technical mastery and freshness of interpretation, complemented by a charismatic stage presence. This is her first appearance at the Ljubljana Festival, where she is joined by the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, founded in 1997 by conductor Claudio Abbado. This highly versatile ensemble is known for its broad repertoire ranging from early music to new works. The orchestra is conducted by Teddy Abrams, music director of the Louisville Orchestra, who is known for his innovative projects and his involvement in social initiatives. His compositional oeuvre includes a piano concerto composed for Yuja Wang, the recording of which won a Grammy Award.