"He has all the skills of a truly musical interpreter" Maxim Vengerov An evening with the violin superstar INTRODUCTION Young, charismatic and supremely talented, Ray Chen is making big waves in the musical world. Winning two of the world’s most prestigious violin competitions – the Yehudi Menuhin in 2008 and Queen Elisabeth one year later – and being the youngest soloist to perform in the televised Nobel Prize concert in 2012 has set Ray Chen firmly on the international stage. His Carnegie Hall debut with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, and his Musikverein appearance with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under Riccardo Chailly were met with standing ovations. He tours with the world’s great orchestras and his recordings have been critically acclaimed. Chen is a classical music icon who excites the younger generation, with over two million followers on SoundCloud and huge profile on all social media platforms. His fun yet challenging Festival programme will appeal to connoisseurs and newcomers alike. From Beethoven to Ysaÿe’s showpiece solo sonata dedicated to Fritz Kreisler, with Manuel de Falla’s dramatic arrangement of Spanish songs, and Vittorio Monti’s irresistible Czardas, Ray Chen demonstrates the full range of his virtuosity. His accompanist is the versatile American pianist Julio Elizalde. Ray Chen plays the 1715 “Joachim” Stradivarius, named after the great Hungarian violinist, Joseph Joachim. PROGRAMME Beethoven Violin Sonata No 1 in D major, Op 12 Saints-Saëns Violin Sonata No 1 in D minor, Op 75 Ysaÿe Sonata for Solo Violin No 4 in E minor, Op 27 Falla 6 songs from Suite Populaire Espagnole arr. for Violin & Piano Monti Czardas