Henri Demarquette, Charles Dutoit and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Charles Dutoit is the Artistic Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra since 2009, and opens this concert with Dances of Galánta by the Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály. A close friend of Bartók, Kodály traveled with him around Hungary, Romania and Transylvania. Fascinated by the folk heritage of Central Europe, the ethnomusicologist drew his inspiration from these traditions to compose the five wild dances.

The orchestra will then be joined by the French cellist Henri Demarquette to perform the sensuous and stormy Cello Concerto No. 1 by Saint-Saëns.

In the second part of the concert, you will enjoy Charles Dutoit and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in two masterpieces of impressionist music, with Fontane di Roma by Ottorino Respighi and La Mer by Claude Debussy... on the day of Debussy's 150th birthday!