Our composer in residence, Unsuk Chin, drew inspiration for her cello concerto from what she described as “Alban Gerhardt’s unique artistry.” The Berlin-born dedicatee premiered the work at the London Proms in 2009 and will now also perform Chin’s transparent composition at Konzerthaus, which, according to one critic, “never drowns out the soloist despite the large orchestral ensemble and thoroughly explores the instrument’s specific lyrical qualities despite all the technical difficulties.”

Under the baton of Lithuanian conductor Giedrė Šlekytė, two tone poems by Richard Strauss will follow: With his portrayal of the restless, pleasure-seeking, inwardly empty “Don Juan” the 24-year-old composer broke down some conventional musical forms and celebrated a major success in 1889 that proved pivotal for his career. In “Death and Transfiguration” (1890), he transports the audience to the deathbed of a fictional artist, through whose feverish mind his life and work pass once more.