An evening under the sign of Hungary: two pieces by Béla Bartók open and close the program, the modernist Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta , a distillation of his inner world, and the third and final piano concerto, written by a man in exile, almost ruined and knowing his days numbered. It was in homage to this great model that his compatriot Peter Eötvös wrote CAP-KO twenty years ago, a concerto in five movements whose furious virtuosity is not lacking in Bertrand Chamayou's ten fingers.

Music for strings, percussion and celesta - Chamayou / Viotti

Maison de la Radio et de la Musique

Austrian cellist Valerie Fritz loves the extraordinary, the unusual. Even at the beginning of her studies at the Mozarteum Salzburg, she knew that a classical career with the standard repertoire was out of the question for her. Her self-confidence has already taken the young artist far: she has been nominated by the Elbphilharmonie, among others, and is a "Rising Star" in the European Concert Hall Organization (ECHO) season. With accordionist Goran Stevanovich, she explores the spatial, acoustic, and interpersonal aspects of the concert setting with music from Bach to the present day.

EPSG:4326

Valerie Fritz, Violoncello

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

This new production of one of the most fascinating contemporary works of music theater celebrates its premiere at this year's edition of the Salzburg Festival. Based on Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov, Claus H. Henneberg and Peter Eötvös contributed the libretto for the opera in three sequences. The Klangforum Wien Orchestra performs under the direction of Maxime Pascal and Alphonse Cemin.

Salzburger Festspiele – Tri Sestri

Felsenreitschule

In Streich’s ISHJÄRTA distinctive chordal characteristics emerge in a soundspace of contrasting layers—mists, shimmering veils, a capped, shielded world. This is a piece about heart and intensifying expression.

Icefire, Do-Re-Mi & Caring for the Earth

The Royal Conservatory of Music

Dance, language and fantastic images: the three orchestral works in this concert programme contain a great deal of creative energy. Ravel wrote "Daphnis et Chloé" as ballet music for Diaghilev's famous Ballets Russes. However, the composition initially enjoyed great success as suites on the concert stage, where its genius comes into its own. Ravel had a "great musical fresco" in mind for the ancient love story of the two foundlings, "less concerned with archaism than with loyalty to the Greece of my dreams". In outstanding colours, he pours the rising sun, the song of the nymph and an ecstatic final frenzy into a painting from the early 20th century.

7th Philharmonic Concert

### Event Description: Secret Kiss Birmingham

**Event Title:** Secret Kiss Birmingham

**Date and Time:** Wednesday, 27 November 2024, 7:30 PM (Pre-concert talk at 6:30 PM)

**Venue:** CBSO Centre, Berkley Street, Birmingham, B1 2LF

**Ticket Prices:**
- General: £15.00
- Student: £7.50
- Under 12s: FREE with a paying adult

**Event Overview:**
Join the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) for an ethereal performance at the CBSO Centre. The concert, titled "Secret Kiss," explores the theme of intimate communication through music, featuring sensitive stories of connection and self-awareness.

**Program Highlights:**
- **Rebecca Saunders:** *Stirrings* (2001, 16')
- **Julian Anderson:** *Mitternachtslied* (2020, 2023, 6')
- **Peter Eötvös:** *Secret Kiss* (2018/9, 15') - BCMG SI Commission (World première of the English language version)
- **Lisa Illean:** *Cantor* (2017, 9')
- **Harrison Birtwistle:** *The Woman and the Hare* (1999, 15')
- **Harrison Birtwistle:** *.when falling asleep* (2022, 7')

**Featured Artists:**
- **Alice Rossi:** Soprano
- **Meg Kubota:** Reciter
- **Geoffrey Paterson:** Conductor

**About the Main Piece:**
"Secret Kiss" is one of Peter Eötvös' final ensemble works, inspired by Alessandro Baricco's novel *Silk*. The piece transports the audience back to the 19th century, where a young Frenchman travels to Japan to learn about silk production. During his visit, he encounters a young girl, and a tender yet binding connection emerges from a single glance.

**Additional Information:**
- **Co-Commissioners:** Gageego Ensemble Gothenburg, Casa da Música Porto, Plural Ensemble Madrid, Okamura & Company, Inc., Musikfabrik Cologne, MÜPA Budapest, Wigmore Hall, and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group as part of BCMG’s Sound Investment Scheme.
- **Composer Background:** Peter Eötvös (1944 - 2024) was a highly influential figure in the contemporary music scene, known for his operas, instrumental solo concertos, and chamber music pieces.

**Booking Information:**
Tickets are available for purchase online. For more details and to book your place, visit the BCMG website.

**Contact:**
For further inquiries, contact BCMG at 0121 616 2616.

**Add to Calendar:**
Ensure you don't miss this captivating performance by adding the event to your calendar.

Join us for an evening of intimate and evocative music that promises to be a memorable experience.

Secret Kiss

Wigmore Hall

One of the UK’s leading contemporary ensembles offers a new Wigmore Hall co-commission; the piece by Hungarian composer/conductor Peter Eötvös is a melodrama for narrator and five instruments setting a text adapted by Mari Mezei from Alessandro Baricco’s novel Silk. There’s also the first London performance of a short work by Birtwistle.

Birmingham Contemporary Music Group; Geoffrey Paterson conductor; Alice Rossi soprano; Meg Kubota reciter

In this exciting series of contemporary music, Kwame Ryan conducts World Premieres by Melinda Wagner and Mary Kouyoumdjian. These works were commissioned as part of Project 19, the largest women-only commissioning initiative in history.

Sound On: Eötvös, Kendall, van der Aa, and Kouyoumdjian

Lincoln Center

Inspired by Rimsky-Korsakov’s overseas adventures and his ability to make an orchestra sing just as he envisioned, Scheherazade is just as enchanting as the courtesan tales from One Thousand and One Nights. Under the baton of Elim Chan, a young female conductor with international star power, the tales’ distinct colours intermingle to the pleasure of musicians and audiences alike.

One Thousand and One Drums

Centre Leonardo Da Vinci

Cégep Marie Victorin

Place des Arts

It ain't easy to speak while you're playing an instrument, without getting stuck or losing the rhythm. Jazz musicians sometimes can.  ‘Speaking Drums’ takes another approach with the drummer speaking rhythmic syllables, passing the rhythm on to his instrument, teaching it to speak, so to speak, until it can alone. The first two movements are based on three poems by Sándor Weöres, and the third on a poem by Jayadeva. An unusual work to look forward by the Hungarian composer Peter Eötvös, who died last year, and Alexej Gerassimez, who returns for another concert in this series this season.

8th Sunday & Monday Symphonic Concerts

Alte Oper

It's not easy to talk and play an instrument at the same time, it's easy to get stuck or out of rhythm. In jazz, musicians sometimes accompany individual passages with spoken vocals. The percussion concerto 'Speaking Drums' takes the opposite approach. The drummer first speaks rhythmic syllables, then passes the rhythm on to his instrument, teaching it to speak, until it finally speaks for itself. The first two movements of the piece are based on three poems by Sándor Weöres, while the third movement is inspired by a poem by Jayadeva. We can look forward to an unusual work by the Hungarian composer Peter Eötvös, who died only last year, and to Alexej Gerassimez, who will also appear as a museum soloist in our other concert series during the 2025/26 season.

Peter Eötvös

Events

Upcoming events

19 - 20 Apr, 2026

8th Sunday & Monday Symphonic Concerts · Oper Frankfurt

19 - 20 Apr, 2026

Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra · Alte Oper Frankfurt

Past events

Feb 13, 2026

Music for strings, percussion and celesta - Chamayou / Viotti · Orchestre National de France

Jan 18, 2026

Valerie Fritz, Violoncello · Elbphilharmonie

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