Gifted and Charismatic Russians Set APO on Fire

Gifted and Charismatic Russians Set APO on Fire

Russia-born violinist Alina Ibragimova has been described by The Guardian newspaper as "one of the most technically gifted and charismatic instrumentalists of the age". New Zealand audiences have the opportunity to make their own minds up this Thursday when Ibragimova performs Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No.1 for Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra's 'Russian Fire' concert, the 11th in this year's APN News & Media Premier Series.

From the yearning opening movement to the head-first tumble that closes the work, Shostakovich's concerto gives soloists a perfect opportunity to show the full range of their talents

The other major work on Thursday's programme is Stravinsky's The Firebird Suite. The first of Stravinsky's great trio of ballets (with Petrushka and The Rite of Spring), The Firebird was originally produced by the Ballet Russes and was the work that secured the composer's reputation.

The APO performs the rarely played 1945 version - the last of three orchestral suites Stravinsky produced for The Firebird - which retains the pared-back re-orchestration of 1919 but adds music omitted from that earlier edition.

Leading the orchestra is APO Music Director Eckehard Stier, who describes the programme as "brilliant and dazzling".

WHO: Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and Alina Ibragimova

WHAT: APN News and Media Premier Series 11: Russian Fire http://www.apo.co.nz/2011_concerts/apn_news_media_premier_series/russian_fire.aspx , featuring Rimsky -Korsakov's Sadko, Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No.1 and The Firebird Suite (Stravinsky)

WHERE: Auckland Town Hall

WHEN: 8pm, Thursday 10 November

BOOKINGS: The EDGE, http://www.buytickets.co.nz, ph 0800 BUY TICKETS

Quick Facts

- Alina Ibragimova moved to England at the age of 10 - her father is a double bassist with the London Symphony Orchestra

- At 14 she was the youngest ever winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society's Emily Anderson Prize for violinists.

- She was a student at the Menuhin School, and, with Nicola Benedetti http://www.nicolabenedetti.co.uk/ , played Bach's Double Concerto at Lord Menuhin's funeral

- Alina Ibragimova has formed an impressive musical partnership with pianist Cedric Tiberghien http://www.askonasholt.co.uk/artists/instrumentalists/piano/cdric-tiberghien , who plays Brahms's Second Piano Concerto with the APO on 24 November http://www.apo.co.nz/2011_concerts/apn_news_media_premier_series/grande_finale.aspx

- Ibragimova and Tiberghien were finalist in this year's Gramophone magazine awards for their disc of Beethoven sonatas

- Alina Ibragimova and Cédric Tiberghien's new recital disc, of music by Ravel and Lekeu was released in September on Hyperion records

- She performs on a 1738 Guarneri violin

- See a clip of her playing and speaking here: http://www.gramophone.co.uk/blog/the-gramophone-blog/alina-ibragimova-on-life-at-the-menuhin-school

- Stravinsky produced three orchestral suites for The Firebird, in 1911, 1919 and 1945. The latter is played by the APO on Thursday. Stravinsky created the 1945 version in part because the United States did not recognise European copyrights.

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