The Belgrade Philharmonic will perform together with the renowned violinist Sergei Krylov, under the direction of Felix Mildenberger, on Friday, February 9. The program features works of Brkljačić, Paganini, Saint-Saens and Mahler.

The legend of composer and violin virtuoso Niccolo Paganini is well known – his contemporaries believed he played so well he must have made a deal with the devil. The devil’s violinist of our time is certainly none other than the otherworldly Sergei Krylov, who has already made an impact on past Philharmonic concert seasons with his amazing performances. An impressive musicality and a passionate tone are just some of the qualities which secured Krylov’s place among the most famous violinists of today, and the audience will again have the opportunity to witness his spectacular virtuosity in Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 1.

The devil’s work will continue in Saint-Saens Dance macabre, after which will follow one of the most beautiful compositions of all time, Mahler’s Funeral Rites, conducted by a rising star Felix Mildenberger who has been building his career with the famous conductors of today such as Sir Simon Rattle, Gianandrea Noseda, Paavo Järvi, and others.

The ticking of a long-forgotten clock by Ivan Brkljačič will open this music evening, continuing the exciting line of concerts in which the orchestra presents Serbian composers’ works commissioned by the Belgrade Philharmonic, or which have been a constant in its repertoire. This work was premiered by the BPO in 2006; Brkljačić, then a young composer, wished to through the ticking of a clock represent memories of distant ancestors. It is their strength that makes looking toward the future easier and more exciting.

“When future potentials come from the past, the awareness of the value of the current moment in time lasts longer. The ticking also points to all the different pulsations in people’s lives. Through stable, changeable, tension-filled, playful and harmless pulsations, the form of The ticking is built into five large sections and an Epilogue,” said Brkljačić, vice-dean and full professor of the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, whose works have been performed throughout Europe, in the USA, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan…

The concert is fully sold out – standing tickets will be available for purchase one hour before the performance, ie. from 7 PM at the Kolarac ticket office.