Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy was one of the child musical geniuses of his time — he made his debut as a pianist at the age of nine, and his talent was supported by Johann Wolfgang Goethe. His Reformation Symphony, written to celebrate the tercentenary of the Augsburg Confession, combines youthful energy with admiration for Bach’s polyphony. Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B minor, composed during his stay in America, is one of the highlights of world Romantic music. The soloist of the evening will be the young cellist Jan Petrov.

Felix Mendelssohn
Symphony No. 5 in D major, Op. 107 “Reformation”

Antonín Dvořák
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B minor, Op. 104

Jan Petrov – cello
Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava
Conducted by students of the conducting department at the Zurich University of the Arts, under the leadership of Christoph-Mathias Mueller

From early childhood, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy displayed extraordinary musical talent. At the age of nine, he made his first public appearance as a pianist, and by eleven he was composing his first pieces. His artistic patron was none other than the great poet Johann Wolfgang Goethe, who supported him in every possible way. Although Mendelssohn’s Reformation Symphony carries the number five, it was actually the second symphony he composed. He wrote it at the age of just twenty-one for the grand celebrations marking the 300th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession, presented to Emperor Charles V at the Imperial Diet in Augsburg, which were held in June 1830 in Berlin. The symphony reflects not only Mendelssohn’s genius for melody but also his masterful command of Bachian polyphony.

Antonín Dvořák’s Concerto for Cello and Orchestra ranks among the most performed and beloved romantic cello concertos. Composed between 1894 and 1895 during Dvořák’s time in America, the piece captures his homesickness, his longing for friends, and his deep love for the Czech landscape in its expansive melodies and heartfelt lyricism.

The soloist for this evening will be the talented young graduate of the Prague Conservatory, Jan Petrov.