This violin recital features Yamen Saadi, Concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic, as the violinist, with French pianist Julien Quentin serving as the piano collaborator.

"At just 25 years old, he was honored with the position of Concertmaster for both the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra."

At age 25, Yamen Saadi was announced as Concertmaster of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and Vienna Philharmonic from the 22/23 season. Described as having a “beguiling sound” by Berliner Morgenpost, Saadi maintains a busy career as both a soloist and chamber musician. His playing is characterised by serene lyricism, virtuosity and elegance beyond his years.

Saadi (Yamen Saadi) currently serves as Concertmaster of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. His sound has been described as 'beguiling' by the Berliner Morgenpost.

Saadi maintains a busy career simultaneously as both a soloist and a chamber musician. His playing is characterized by serene lyricism, masterful technique, and an elegance that transcends his age. In May 2022, he replaced Leonidas Kavakos to make his debut as a soloist with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

As a soloist, Saadi has collaborated with numerous orchestras, including the Staatskapelle Berlin, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Valencia Orchestra, and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, among others.

Saadi has worked with several conductors, including Daniel Barenboim, Lionel Bringuier, Lawrence Foster, Leonidas Kavakos, Christoph Poppen, and Lahav Shani.

Saadi Interview

https://west-eastern-divan.org/conversation-yamen-saadi

Before becoming Concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic, Yamen Saadi was appointed by Maestro Daniel Barenboim as Concertmaster of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in Berlin, Germany."

Going back to when he was ten years old: he performed with an orchestra composed of young Israeli and Palestinian musicians at a 'Two Nations Concert' in Jerusalem. After the performance, the brave young boy approached Barenboim and directly asked him, 'Can I join the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra?' Barenboim laughed and replied, 'You are still too young.' The then ten-year-old Yamen Saadi responded, 'If it helps, I can pretend I’m twenty-one.

At age 11, he debuted at the BBC Proms. Before he turned 14, he spent three years recording the complete Beethoven symphonies with the orchestra. As a young musician, he performed at peace concerts in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the United Nations, Carnegie Hall, and the Musikverein (Golden Hall). However, the night he remembers most vividly was a performance in Buenos Aires, where he received the phone call that he had become Concertmaster.

Julien Quentin has won multiple awards in international piano competitions and has given solo recitals in renowned concert halls around the world, including Carnegie Hall in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, and the Berlin Philharmonie."

He has also collaborated with many well-known symphony orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Orchestre de Paris.

Quentin is an enthusiastic chamber musician who has collaborated with renowned artists including Ray Chen, Mischa Maisky, Andreas Ottensamer, María Dueñas, Augustin Hadelich, Daniel Lozakovich, Nicolas Altstaedt, Lisa Batiashvili, Gautier Capuçon, Martin Fröst, Sol Gabetta, David Garrett, Gary Hoffman, Lawrence Power, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Sayaka Shoji, and István Várdai. His playing is widely praised, establishing him as one of the most expressive, technically proficient, and busiest piano collaborators of his generation.

Quentin's Personal Website: 

https://www.julienquentin.com/

Program Notes:

This concert is centered around the works of Johannes Brahms and Fritz Kreisler, tracing the romantic tradition of the violin from the 19th to the early 20th century.

Brahms's violin sonatas showcase his profound language and rigorous structure from his mature period. The Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 100 (1886), is known for its bright, lyrical melodies and is considered the most intimate of his three violin sonatas. The Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108 (1886–1888), structured in four movements, is the final installment of his violin sonatas, possessing a grand scale and distinct contrasts that reveal the distilled power of his late style.

Kreisler was one of the most representative violinists and composers of the early 20th century, renowned for his original works and arrangements characterized by elegant melody and Viennese wit. The "Praeludium and Allegro" draws inspiration from the Baroque style but is, in fact, Kreisler's own romantic tribute. Arrangements such as the "Slavonic Fantasie," "Slavonic Dance," "Midnight Bells," and "Spanish Dance" draw themes from Dvořák, Heuberger, and Falla, transforming the originals into classic showpieces for the violin stage, fully demonstrating his mastery of tone and vocal quality.

The entire program opens with the intellect and depth of Brahms and concludes with the elegance and brilliance of Kreisler, moving from German introspection to Viennese romanticism, charting the complete trajectory of violin artistry from the late 19th to the early 20th century.

Program:

Johannes Brahms : Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 100

Fritz Kreisler : Slavonic Fantasie (on themes of Dvořák) / for Violin & Piano

Antonín Dvořák / arr. Fritz Kreisler : Slavonic Dance in E minor, Op. 72 No. 2

Richard Heuberger / arr. Fritz Kreisler : Der Opernball – Midnight Bells

Manuel de Falla / arr. Fritz Kreisler : La vida breve – Danse espagnole

Fritz Kreisler : Prelude and Allegro

— Intermission —

Johannes Brahms : Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108