Legendary Pianist Rudolf Buchbinder Enthralls Audiences at InClassica

InClassica 2021 is the biggest and most ambitious music festival to ever take place in the Middle East, welcoming a staggering 37 world-renowned soloists, 7 celebrated orchestras and 12 leading conductors to Dubai for a 30-day celebration of sublime musicianship, world-class performance and international collaboration. InClassica is pleased to present the biggest names in classical music today, featuring performers from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas, for an unrivalled programme of phenomenal concerts taking place at the Dubai Opera and Coca-Cola Arena. The festival features a range of music from distinguished historical European composers, as well as works from the event’s Composer-in-Residence, Alexey Shor. 

Last night at InClassica

The Piano Masters’ Friendship and Love
Dubai Opera

German composer Johannes Brahms and Czech composer Antonín Dvořák developed a friendship that lasted more than two decades. Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 1 soon established itself as a recognized masterpiece of singular beauty. Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder, an artist who does not believe in compromises, is known for his technically flawless as well as unconventional interpretations and is a profound connoisseur of Brahms's music. Dvořák's Symphony No. 8 is recognized as an important contribution to the genre and loved by the audience as much as his other symphonies. The Slovak State Philharmonic plays the symphony under the baton of Daniel Raiskin.

Rudolf Buchbinder (piano)
 - "Thank you for the fantastic audience, thank you for the excellent orchestra and its wonderful conductor. It was a great pleasure for me to perform here. I have played this concert with the orchestra many times in Europe. This Brahms concert is not an easy one. In Dubai, I present it to the public for the first time. I'm glad to be here."

Daniel Raiskin 
 - “Rudolf Buchbinder is a grandmaster of the piano, of the Germanic classical and romantic music, particularly Beethoven and Brahms. He’s an authority to go to...he was very generous and it worked very well. I am very satisfied and very proud of the orchestra.”

 - “Shortly before the coda, I really felt everybody in the orchestra wanted to stay for another four concerts. It was very symbolic for the orchestra, particularly in these post-pandemic times.”

 - “We felt a very good rapport with the organisation, everybody felt very satisfied and I hope we’ll be coming back again.”

Quotes From Those in Attendance: 

“I’ve been a huge fan of Rudolf Buchbinder’s for many years now, so this was a real joy to attend” — audience member

“Fantastic concert! Loved it, thank you” — audience member

“I really enjoyed both the Brahms and the Dvorak very much, though I have to say the ‘Slavonic Dances’ encore made a real impression too”  — audience member 

Tonight at InClassica*

Well Tempered Chanson 
Coca Cola Arena

Alexey Shor's cycle ‘The Well Tempered Chanson’ was inspired by the creativity of the folklore of the Soviet era. Confronting urban chansons with unexpected styles, he transforms the songs to such an extent that the original music becomes something completely new. Leonard Schreiber, Belgian violinist, plays the solo part along with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. The second half of the concert is dedicated to Sergei Prokofiev's Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 3, the composer's most popular piano concerto, played by Korean pianist Yeol Eum Son. Conducting the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Marius Stravinsky closes the concert with Bedřich Smetana's symphonic poem Šárka.

• Leonard Schreiber (violin)
• Yeol Eum Son (piano)
• Marius Stravinsky
• Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra

*Full details (including quotes from performers and attendees) will be available tomorrow. For any enquiries regarding tonight’s performance, please contact us.

Organised by the European Foundation for Support of Culture and SAMIT Event Group, the 2021 Edition of the InClassica International Music Festival is currently underway, with daily concerts taking place until the 26th of September. For more information or to book tickets, please visit the official website at inclassica.com.