On Friday, April 25 at 8 PM at Kolarac Hall, the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra will take the stage together with the conductor Mihhail Gerts, to perform the program titled Fatal Attraction that features Rodion Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite and Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5.

The fiery and passionate character of Carmen inspired French composer Georges Bizet to create one of the most iconic operas of all time, turning the protagonist into a legendary femme fatale of classical music, and making the piece itself one of the most popular works of all time in its genre. Nearly a century later, Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin reimagined themes from Carmen — and other Bizet operas — into a suite dedicated to his wife, the renowned Bolshoi prima ballerina Maya Plisetskaya. Shchedrin repainted and refashioned Bizet’s melodies in a way that both echoes and departs from the original.

The second half of the concert is devoted to Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5, commissioned by the Finnish government in honor of the composer’s birthday. Describing his creative process, Sibelius wrote of the experience: It was as if God Himself were throwing down pieces of a mosaic from the heavens, asking me to discover the perfect pattern.

The concert will be conducted by the highly promising Mihhail Gerts, who left a strong impression on Belgrade audiences last season. Gerts returns to the Philharmonic podium after a string of acclaimed performances with the National Orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, the Dresden Staatskapelle, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and many other leading ensembles.

Tickets are available at the Belgrade Philharmonic box office as well as online.