Gil Shaham Plays Dvořák

Conductor Xian Zhang has a gift for revealing new depths in the classics, delivering “a cornucopia of artistic riches” (San Francisco Examiner), as these concerts make abundantly clear.

Dvořák’s Violin Concerto—filled with many moods, from fiery drama to joyous dance—is a brilliant showcase for audience favorite Gil Shaham, “a virtuoso and a player of deeply intense sincerity” (The New York Times). Listen for the composer’s beloved Slavonic dance rhythms in the finale, a delight from its sprightly start to the blazing finish.

Written as a memorial to those lost in World War II, Prokofiev’s searing Sixth Symphony takes the listener on a deeply moving spiritual journey, a quest to understand the tragedy of war and the mystery of death. The composer wrote the work in the shadow of Stalin, under whose rule artists were favored or banished according to the whims of the politburo—making this Symphony not just a masterpiece but an act of bravery and defiance.