On Friday, November 29, at Kolarac Concert Hall (8 PM), the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra will be joined by cellist Alban Gerhardt to perform under the baton of Sascha Goetzel. The program features works by Weber, Schumann, and Strauss.

This unusual musical journey the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra begins with an Invitation to the Dance from Carl Maria von Weber, whose piece with the same title is regarded as the first-ever concert waltz in music history. The orchestra is opening the eventing repertoire with the performance of this famous work in an orchestration by Hector Berlioz.

The second half of the concert is dedicated to Strauss’ masterpiece Also Sprach Zarathustra, an iconic work that gained global recognition through Stanley Kubrick’s cult film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Sascha Goetzel is conducting the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time – a maestro known for his dynamic, charismatic, and versatile approach, making him a magnetic presence on the podium.

Cellist Alban Gerhardt, renowned for his versatility, profound musicality, and insatiable artistic curiosity, returns to the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, this time with a unique twist. On Friday night, he will perform Schumann’s anti-virtuosic Cello Concerto, a departure from the showy, applause-seeking concertos typical of its era. Schumann, who resented applause during performances, resolved this problem by crafting the piece in a single, continuous movement. This enigmatic work remains his only concerto for this instrument.