A dream about snowy Finland, where a nymph emerges from one of the country’s thousands of lakes. This is how one could describe Jean Sibelius’ Violin Concerto, a symphonic poem that premiered in the same year as Dvořák’s most famous opera, Rusalka. While equally poetic, Sibelius is timid in the more cautiously constructed melodies, but he also leads all of them to a positive ending. The composition seems so intimate, it is as if every tone of the violin addresses each listener individually. And if the violin player is Julian Rachlin, whose career began at age fourteen – after he won the Concertino Praga and Eurovision competitions – with an invitation from Lorin Maazel to appear as a guest with the London Symphony Orchestra, we can expect an extraordinary experience.

In contrast, the ominous energy of the first notes of Dmitri Shostakovich’s music points out that his Symphony No. 8 follows his famous Leningrad Symphony. Symphony No. 8 was also written during the Second World War and is perhaps even better and more clearly constructed than the Leningrad Symphony. Its journey from darkness to light and victory and its key of C minor recall Beethoven’s Fate. The composer seems to have infused the lucid finale with the belief that victory means more than defending oneself and driving out the aggressors – it also means showing generosity and compassion. Light must shine for everyone in the end. And it will be sparked by conductor Alain Altinoglu, who leads one of the oldest and most respected German radio orchestras, an artist who regularly conducts the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and, more recently, also the Czech Philharmonic.

Famed for its outstanding wind section, powerful strings and dynamic playing culture, the orchestra of the Hessischer Rundfunk (German Public Radio of Hesse), together with its music director Alain Altinoglu, is associated with musical excellence but also with an interesting and varied repertoire.

With innovative concert formats, internationally successful digital recordings and CD productions, as well as a constant presence in important music centres in Europe and Asia, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony underscores its prominent position within the European orchestral landscape and has an outstanding reputation worldwide.

Known for its groundbreaking world premiere recordings of the original versions of Bruckner's symphonies and the first complete digital recording of all of the Mahler symphonies, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony established a tradition in the interpretation of Romantic literature, which radiated from its long-standing music director and current honorary conductor Eliahu Inbal to his successors Dmitri Kitayenko and Hugh Wolff, and on to the era of today's conductor laureate Paavo Järvi and to Andrés Orozco-Estrada, the orchestra’s most recent music director, who led for seven years with great success.

From its very inception, the orchestra displayed a firm commitment to both traditional and contemporary music under its first music director Hans Rosbaud. Following the war and during reconstruction, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony grew with Kurt Schröder, Winfried Zillig and Otto Matzerath at the helm, finally achieving international standing between the 1960s and 1980s under Dean Dixon and Eliahu Inbal, with guest performances worldwide and the production of multi-award-winning records.

source: Künstleragentur Dr. Raab & Dr. Böhm

“With Alain Altinoglu, La Monnaie has found its Messiah.”

Le Figaro

Alain Altinoglu is music directeur Musical of the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, chefdirigent of the hr- Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt, and artistic director of Festival International de Colmar. Since 2015, he has earned widespread recognition for his extraordinary leadership, and inspiring, riveting, and transcendent opera performances in Brussels. His tenure with the hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt commenced from the 2021/22 season, and his first edition in Colmar took place in July 2023.

Highlights of the 2024/25 season include continuing the acclaimed multi-season production of Wagner’s ‘Der Ring des Nibelungen’ at La Monnaie, directed by Pierre Audi. With the hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt, Altinoglu embarks on touring projects to Japan and Europe, including performances of Honegger’s ‘Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher’ in France, Germany, and Austria. In Paris, they appear at Notre Dame Cathedral premiering Thierry Escaich's ‘Te Deum’ in a special concert marking the reopening of the cathedral. In Europe, Altinoglu continues guesting relationships with Wiener Philharmoniker, Münchner Philharmoniker, and the Czech Philharmonic.

Alain Altinoglu regularly conducts such distinguished orchestras as the Berliner Philharmoniker, Wiener Philharmoniker, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, London Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Russian National Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra London, Concertgebouworkest, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Münchner Philharmoniker, Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Tonhalle- Orchester Zürich, as well as all the major Parisian orchestras.

A regular guest at the world’s leading opera houses, Altinoglu appears at the New York Metropolitan Opera House, Royal Opera House London Covent Garden, Teatro alla Scala, Wiener Staatsoper, Opernhaus Zürich, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper München, and all three opera houses in Paris. He has also appeared at the festivals in Bayreuth, Salzburg, Orange, and Aix- en-Provence.

Alongside his conducting, Altinoglu maintains a strong affinity with the Lied repertoire and regularly performs with mezzo-soprano Nora Gubisch. Altinoglu has released audio recordings for Deutsche Grammophon, Naïve, Pentatone, and Cascavelle. DVD productions of Honegger’s ‘Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher’ (Accord), Wagner’s ‘Der fliegende Holländer’ (DG), ‘The Golden Cockerel’, ‘Iolanta’, ‘The Nutcracker’, and ‘Pelléas et Mélisande’ (BelAirClassiques) have also been released to critical acclaim.

Born in Paris, Alain Altinoglu studied at the Paris Conservatory National Supérieur de Musique de Paris where he now teaches the conducting class.

source: Künstleragentur Dr. Raab & Dr. Böhm

"Rachlin is the real thing, a virtuoso with heart and a champion's bearing."

The Los Angeles Times

Julian Rachlin is one of the most renowned artistic personalities of our time. In his 30+ year career, Mr. Rachlin’s multifaceted interests have taken him across the globe as a conductor, soloist, recording artist, chamber musician, teacher, and artistic director. As a violinist, Rachlin has shared the stage with virtually every major orchestra and conductor. A frequent presence on the conductor’s podium, his performances have thrilled audiences worldwide and his electrifying and sensitive interpretations have placed him at the forefront of classical music.

Julian Rachlin is chief conductor of the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and music director of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. He will be touring Europe with the latter in the 2024/25 season.

Rachlin’s elegant and dynamic style has cemented his reputation as conductor. Known for his meticulous rehearsal methods and superb musicianship, he has conducted the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Russian National Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the RAI National Symphony Orchestra as well as at the Grand Teton and Verbier festivals. Mr. Rachlin also served as principal guest conductor of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and as principal artistic partner of the Royal Northern Sinfonia.

A major presence in the performing arts since the age of thirteen, Mr. Rachlin has spent over three decades cementing his reputation as one of the world’s premiere classical violinists. Recent highlights as soloist or as conductor include appearances with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra under Klaus Mäkelä, the Helsinki Philharmonic, Sofia Philharmonic, Warsaw Philharmonic, Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala under Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Yuri Termirkanov and the Munich Symphony Orchestra.

A strong proponent of expanding the relevance of classical music within today’s cultural framework, Mr. Rachlin’s projects with living composers and cross-media collaborations have brought together artists from a variety of disciplines, backgrounds and genres. He has worked closely with, and premiered works of, Krzysztof Penderecki, Giya Kancheli, Vangelis and Lera Auerbach. In 2000, he joined Mstislav Rostropovich in the premiere of Penderecki’s Sextet and Penderecki later wrote and dedicated the Concerto Doppio for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra as well as the Ciaccona for Violin and Viola to Mr. Rachlin. He has appeared in films, collaborated with digital installation artists, and has worked with noted personalities including John Malkovich, Sir Roger Moore, and Gerard Depardieu.

Rachlin’s renowned music festivals reflect his joie de vivre and passion for bringing great artists and international audiences together in a celebration of music and art. He frequently collaborates with longtime musical partners Martha Argerich, Evgeny Kissin, Denis Matsuev, Janine Jansen, Vilde Frang and Mischa Maisky. His untiring work and dedication for his "Julian Rachlin & Friends" festival in Dubrovnik, Croatia that ran for over a decade, has been recognized worldwide, and Mr. Rachlin has recently been appointed the 2021 artistic director of the Herbstgold Festival at the legendary Esterházy Palace in Eisenstadt, Austria.

Dedicated to educating and supporting young talent, Mr. Rachlin founded the Julian Rachlin and Friends Foundation to help nurture the careers of extraordinary young musicians. Since 1999, Mr. Rachlin has served as a faculty member and professor at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna.

Mr. Rachlin is the recipient of numerous awards recognizing his work in the field of classical music, including as an Accademia Musicale Chigiana Siena Prize laureate, World Economic Forum “Young Global Leader", and a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund. In 2013, Mr. Rachlin performed alongside Zubin Mehta and the Bavarian State Orchestra at the historic “Peace for Kashmir” concert at the Shalimar Bagh Mughal Garden in Srinagar, Kashmir, the first ever performance by a Western orchestra in that region.

Born in Lithuania, Rachlin emigrated to Vienna with his family at the age of three, where he studied violin under the renowned Boris Kuschnir at Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna. He also received private lessons from Pinchas Zukerman in New York City. Mr. Rachlin also completed conducting studies with Maestro Mariss Jansons and Sophie Rachlin and was mentored by Maestro Daniele Gatti.

Mr. Rachlin plays the 1704 "ex Liebig" Stradivari and a 1785 Lorenzo Storioni viola, on loan to him courtesy of the Dkfm. Angelika Prokopp Privatstiftung. His strings are kindly sponsored by Thomastik- Infeld. Mr. Rachlin’s critically acclaimed recordings can be heard on Deutsche Grammophon, Sony Classical, and Warner Class.

source: Künstleragentur Dr. Raab & Dr. Böhm

The Rudolfinum is one of the most important Neo-Renaissance edifices in the Czech Republic. In its conception as a multi-purpose cultural centre it was quite unique in Europe at the time of its construction. Based on a joint design by two outstanding Czech architects, Josef Zítek and Josef Schultz, a magnificent building was erected serving for concerts, as a gallery, and as a museum. The grand opening on 7 February 1885 was attended by Crown Prince Rudolph of Austria, in whose honour the structure was named. In 1896 the very first concert of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra took place in the Rudolfinum's main concert hall, under the baton of the composer Antonín Dvořák whose name was later bestowed on the hall.