Zurich Chamber Orchestra
Pablo Hernán Benedí, violin and conductor
Julia Hagen, cello

Programme

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745–1799)
Overture from the comic opera in two acts with ballet L'amant anonyme

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)
Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major, Hob. VIIb:1

***

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135

One of the most acclaimed chamber orchestras on the international scene, the Swiss Zürcher Kammerorchester comes to the LAC alongside cellist Julia Hagen with a programme spanning the Classical and early Romantic periods. From Saint-Georges to Haydn and on to Beethoven’s late works, this journey combines theatrical elegance, solo virtuosity and creative freedom.

One of the leading ensembles on the international scene, the Zürcher Kammerorchester presents a programme exploring three facets of the classical repertoire. Founded in 1945, the Swiss orchestra is distinguished by a long history of performance and a constant presence in the world’s major concert halls.
The evening opens with the Overture from L’amant anonyme by Joseph Bologne, one of the first composers of African descent to work within the realm of European classical music: a brilliant and refined piece, marked by lightness, theatrical verve and an eye for detail. At the heart of the concert, Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major finds in Julia Hagen – one of the most sought-after young cellists of her generation – an ideal interpreter, thanks to her ability to combine technical brilliance with musicality.
In the second half, Beethoven’s Quartet Op. 135 opens the final chapter of the programme. The composer’s last completed work, it combines formal concentration, transparency of writing and a serenity that is only apparent, punctuated by contrasts and unexpected bursts of intensity.