Ryan McAdams is quickly establishing himself as one of the most versatile and exciting conductors of his generation. Equally appreciated as a symphonic, operatic, and contemporary music conductor, he is the first ever recipient of the Sir Georg Solti Emerging Conductor Award and the Aspen-Glimmerglass Prize in the opera section.

Hailed by The Times as a “remarkable cellist” and described by Gramophone as “pure perfection”, Kian Soltani plays with a style that presents depth of expression and technical mastery, alongside a charismatic stage presence and the ability to create an immediate emotional connection with his audience. He is now invited by the world’s leading orchestras, conductors and recital promotors, propelling him from rising star to one of the most sought-after cellists on the international scene.

ROBERT SCHUMANN

Concerto in A minor for cello and orchestra op. 129

JOHANNES BRAHMS

Symphony n. 2 in D major op. 73

Concerto in A minor for cello and orchestra op. 129

Year of composition: 1850

First execution: Düsseldorf, March 23, 1851

Movements:

1. Non troppo veloce
   2. Lento
   3. Molto vivace

Apart from other concert pieces, Schumann’s solo concerts are three, dedicated to the piano, violin and cello. The “human” voice of the cello allowed Schumann to deal with the composition of the Concerto in A minor in 1850, leading to excellent results in the attempt to make the overall form of the concert as coherent and compact as possible. On the one hand, the three-section articulation fades into a sort of unique, seamless movement; on the other, a special quality of the dialogue between the soloist and the orchestra comes precisely from the orchestral nature of the cello, perfectly inserted in the color of an orchestra which for the occasion is dried in a relatively small staff, composed of strings, gables and pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns and trumpets.

Symphony n. 2 in D major op. 73

Year of composition: 1877

First execution: 30 December 1877

Movements:

1. Allegro non troppo; Adagio non troppo
   2. Allegretto grazioso (quasi Andantino)
   3. Presto ma non assai; Allegro con spirito

Proceeding along a methodical and almost preordained path, Brahms refines, experiments and matures its compositional tools in the most manageable chamber forms before testing itself on the vast symphonic horizon. In the complex and imposing structure of the symphony lies the supreme ideal of the Brahmsian expression. In this genre, the composer decidedly turned to Beethoven, restoring an orchestral form, style and color that was considered to be outdated in the name of the new romantic orchestra. A first and last movement of vast dimensions delegated to the more complex motif-thematic gestation, frame two central episodes of smaller dimensions. The Adagio non troppo is an example of that intense severe and touching expression reached by Brahms typically in slow movements, while the Allegretto grazioso, quasi andantino is a light and joyful dance.