Marek Janowski and Marc-­André Hamelin with Reger and Schumann

Marek Janowski is acclaimed throughout the world for his interpretations of the German Romantic repertoire. He has also left his mark on European orchestral culture by repeatedly devoting himself to less renowned ensembles, which he has shaped into top international orchestras within a short time. With razor-sharp precision, Janowski elicits extraordinarily colourful and transparent sound images in his interpretations, thus providing breathtaking concert experiences. In addition to his focus on Wagner, which he has also maintained as a regular guest at the great international opera houses, he is regarded as an outstanding Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, Strauss and Schumann interpreter, although his personal perception of Schumann has changed considerably, since he now concentrates “less on emotional exuberance” and more on “the clarity of the musical lines”. Janowski’s artistic path led him to positions as assistant conductor and music director in Freiburg and Dortmund. He later served as chief conductor of the Gürzenich Orchestra in Cologne, developed the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France into one of France’s leading orchestras, then led the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo to new artistic levels as well. After three years with the Dresden Philharmonic, Marek Janowski was chief conductor of the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin from 2002 to 2016. He returned to the Dresden Philharmonic as chief conductor and artistic director at the start of the 2019/20 season.

Marc-André Hamelin is one of the finest pianists in the world: an artist who with “near-superhuman technical prowess” is able to master even the most intricate passages with “cool and consummate musicality” (New York Times) – always with an unmistakable, sublime touch. The French Canadian, who was born in Montreal in 1961 and studied at the École de musique Vincent-d’Indy in his native city, then at Temple University in Philadelphia, views his image as a “hypervirtuoso” critically: “I wish people wouldn’t talk so much about my technique. … In any case, all that counts for me is the music.” He continues: “For me, virtuosity is the highly developed ability to use all one’s mental and physical possibilities to realize an artistic vision.” In addition to the great works from the established repertoire, Marc-André Hamelin frequently explores rarities of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries: music of Bolcom, Grainger, Roslavets, Godowsky, Villa-Lobos, Szymanowski or Max Reger, whose musically challenging Piano Concerto is also a largely underrated work. Marc-André Hamelin is a successful composer as well, with works including his Toccata on L’homme armé, which was commissioned by the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.