IDAGIO | Bloch: Suite for Viola and Orchestra - Baal Shem

Featuring

Mariusz Smolij
Hong-Mei Xiao
MÁV Szimfonikus Zenekar
Ernest Bloch

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Performer Biography

Hong-Mei Xiao, the violist, won first prize at the 1987 Geneva International Music Competition and is a recipient of the Patek Philippe Grand Prize.

Performer Biography

The Budapest Symphony Orchestra MÁV, founded in 1945 by the Hungarian State Railways, is ranked among the best professional orchestras in Hungary.

Composer Biography

Ernest Bloch, the composer, viewed Judaism as a cultural identity, not a religious one, and sought to express the 'Jewish soul' in his music.

Performer Biography

Mariusz Smolij is a founding member of the Penderecki String Quartet and currently serves as Music Director of the Acadiana Symphony in Louisiana and Riverside Symphonia in New Jersey.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Bloch's publisher, G. Schirmer, cemented his reputation as the 'Jewish composer' by prominently displaying his initials within a Star of David on his scores.

Performer Biography

Hong-Mei Xiao is the featured soloist in the Naxos world première recording of the original and revised versions of Béla Bartók's Viola Concerto, which received international critical acclaim.

Performer Biography

Mariusz Smolij, the conductor, has led over a hundred orchestras on four continents and appeared in prestigious concert halls worldwide, including Carnegie Hall and Concertgebouw Amsterdam.