“EMBRACE THE MUSIC” is the appealing motto of this year’s third “ArtLink Young Talents’ Festival” which will offer Belgrade and Serbia seven outstanding concerts between 1 and 16 October.
The musical opening, at the concert at the Kolarac Endowment, will be delivered by Agata Szymczewska (31), Polish violinist together with the Radio and Television of Serbia Symphony Orchestra conducted by the young Slovakian conductor Lukáš Pohůnek. Not long ago Szymczewska was the winner of the First and then also the Prize of the Audience, as well as the gold medal at the 13th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition in Poznań. She made her debut at the renowned Wigmore Hall which landed her the invitation to perform with the London Symphony Orchestra. Szymczewska is most certainly a “must hear live” on 1 October, at 20h, at the Kolarac Endowment. To entice you further, suffice to say that she performed with conductors Krzysztof Penderecki, Seiji Ozawa, violinists Maxim Vengerov, Gidon Kremer and pianist Martha Argerich, as well as with other eminent musicians.
The ArtLink Festival offers a unique opportunity to hear the French clarinettist Raphaël Sévère (22), in a trio with cellist Vuk Ovaskainen and pianist Uki Ovaskainen. At 14, Sévère was accepted at the National Superior Conservatory of Paris, whence he graduated three years ago. In November 2013, Raphaël won the prestigious competition of Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York, where he was awarded First Prize and eight special prizes, while in 2015 his Brahms CD (Mirare label) was rewarded the coveted Diapason d’Or of the year in France. Sévère also had the opportunity to perform with the renowned musicians the likes of Martha Argerich, Gidon Kremer and Boris Berezovsky.
ArtLink will bring before its audience the international cello star Istvan Vardai of Hungary. The Camerata Janáček Chemaber Orchestra from the Czech Republic will be equally unforgettable. Austrian tubists Manuel Mayer and Jakob Wenigwieser with pianist Alisa Bešević Buslehner will also be performing. The Czech concertmaster Pavel Doležal will appear together with the Artlink Young Virtuosi Ensemble as a part of “ArtLink – Societe Generale Young Talents’ Music Cycle”.
Counting the ensembles, this year’s ArtLink Festival will bring together some 200 musicians. Thus, in addition to the exceptional soloists, we will also hear the Radio and Television of Serbia Symphony Orchestra, the ArtLink Chamber Orchestra, and the “Ljubica Marić” Chamber Ensemble which, along with celebrating its tenth anniversary this season, will be closing the Festival together with cellists Vardai and Pejčić, on 16 October, at the hall of the Belgrade Philharmonic.
Two events will intertwine with the ArtLink Festival this year – the French Musical Autumn and the Czech Culture Days.
Further to the concerts of this rising stars – the performances by Szymczewska, Sévère, Vardai with “Ljubica Marić” Chamber Ensemble, as well as the Camerata Janáček, the remaining five will be offered free of entry fees, presenting an opportunity for those who love music to truly enjoy it!