with the NAC Orchestra
Prepare for an unforgettable night with Hilary Hahn, the three-time GRAMMY Award-winning star violin soloist, for her performances at Southam Hall. Experience Brahms’ sole Violin Concerto and groundbreaking pieces by composers Kaija Saariaho and Carl Nielsen, all infused with a modern twist that will redefine your classical music experience.
The evening starts with a rendition of Ciel d’hiver composed by the late, celebrated Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho (1952-2023), ranked as the greatest living composer at the time in a 2019 BBC Music Magazine poll of composers. Ciel d’hiver, a piece known for its evocative portrayal of winter through a unique mix of strings, woodwinds, and percussion, perfectly showcases Kaija Saariaho’s influential legacy and her role in shattering the glass ceiling for female composers who followed in her footsteps.
The night further unfolds with an exquisite interpretation of Johannes Brahms’ only Violin Concerto, then ends on a playful note (pun intended) with Symphony No. 2, “The Four Temperaments” by Carl Nielsen (1865-1931). Inspired by a whimsical medieval painting Nielsen once spotted in a pub, this symphony explores the four personality types - Phlegmatic, Choleric, Melancholic, and Sanguine - through a musical journey that’s as entertaining as it is thought-provoking.