Sofia Philharmonic Celebrates International Music Day with World-Renowned Clarinetist Dimitri Ashkenazy

On October 1, International Music Day, the Sofia Philharmonic welcomes two exceptional musicians – world-renowned clarinetist Dimitri Ashkenazy, who has long since stepped out of the shadow of his illustrious family, and conductor Gudni Emilsson. The evening at Bulgaria Hall will be one of classical elegance, with music by Mendelssohn, Mozart and Schubert.

The concert opens with Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s overture The Return from Abroad, written following the composer’s extensive travels through Europe and filled with a sense of nostalgia, youthful spirit and Romantic energy.

At the heart of the programme is one of the most beloved concertos for a wind instrument – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. The great composer’s final instrumental concerto is a true love letter to the clarinet – a work in which virtuosity gives way to the beauty of sound, while its celebrated Adagio remains one of the most moving melodies in all of classical music.

The soloist of the evening, Icelandic clarinetist Dimitri Ashkenazy, comes from one of the best-known musical families of our time. Born in New York, raised and based in Switzerland, he is the son of legendary pianist and conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy and Icelandic pianist Þórunn Jóhannsdóttir. His international career has taken him to some of the world’s most prestigious stages. As a soloist, he has appeared with orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and Japan Philharmonic. His artistry and rich sound have also inspired contemporary composers to write works especially for him. His appearance with the Sofia Philharmonic offers the Bulgarian audience a rare opportunity to hear a musician who brings not only a distinguished international career, but also the legacy of one of the most emblematic musical dynasties of our time.

The second half of the evening is devoted to Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 4, known as the “Tragic.” Written when the composer was just nineteen, the work reveals a dramatic depth remarkable for his age and foreshadows the symphonic genius of the future composer of the “Unfinished” Symphony.

On the podium will be Gudni Emilsson, one of the prominent figures in Icelandic musical life. Following his studies in Germany, he went on to build an impressive international career as the founding chief conductor of the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra and artistic director of the Tübingen Chamber Orchestra. He has toured more than forty countries across four continents and worked with numerous leading orchestras. In 2018, he was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by the Kazakh National University of Arts in recognition of his contribution to international musical exchange and the development of young musicians. music.mahidol.ac.th

Tickets for the concert are available at the Bulgaria Hall box office and through Eventim.