Daniel Hope: ‘Alexey Shor's Violin Sonata No. 1 takes the listener on a Musical Journey'

Khaleej Times

26-03-2025

Irish violinist Daniel Hope is a distinguished ambassador of classical music, boasting a successful international solo career that spans over 35 years. With a string of accolades under his belt, including the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, the 2015 European Culture Prize for Music, multiple Grammy nominations, a Classical BRIT award, the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis and five ECHO Klassik Prizes, Hope performs solo recitals, chamber concerts, and concerto collaborations with globally renowned orchestras and conductors, as well as directing many ensembles from the violin, succeeding Sir Roger Norrington as Music Director of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra in 2016 and becoming Music Director of San Francisco's New Century Chamber Orchestra two years later.
The celebrated string player will perform once again at the 14th edition of the InClassica International Music Festival, a grand celebration of classical music taking place from April 6-21 at the Dubai Opera, featuring a stellar roster of artists, orchestras, and sensational musical performances. ''InClassica has a stunning lineup of artists, and I look forward to joining them in April,'' says Hope. ''I always look forward to performing in Dubai, both as part of this extraordinary event and in the wonderful concert hall of the Dubai Opera with its great hall and open, international audience. The festival is doing excellent work by bringing culture to the region, and this is to be both encouraged and applauded.''
Titled 'Majestic Duo', Hope's highly-anticipated concert will take place on April 18, where he will be seen collaborating with acclaimed Uzbek pianist Behzod Abduraimov for a dazzling duo concerto. Expressing excitement about the debut collaboration, he said, ''This is the first time I will be giving a recital at InClassica, and I am enormously looking forward to making music with Behzod Abduraimov for the first time, especially in such a beautiful programme.''
Together, the two maestros will present a delightful selection of compositions, opening with Antonín Dvořák's Sonatina for Violin and Piano, Op. 100, a lively piece composed during a period of peaceful creativity and familial bliss, the purpose of the work evident in the simplicity and transparency of its musical ideas. They will then move on to Composer-in-Residence Alexey Shor's Violin Sonata No. 1, an evocative composition in three movements, Allegro Agitato, Scherzo and Meditation, distinguished by its tonal sophistication, beautifully juxtaposed with technically demanding passages. After the interval, the duo will conclude the concert with César Franck's beloved Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major, a masterpiece of the late Romantic period considered one of the greatest sonatas ever written for violin and piano.
Hope discussed the concerto's programme in detail, emphasising his appreciation for resident composer Alexey Shor's pieces and presenting his work at the festival. ''I look forward to performing the music of the festival's dedicatee and Composer-in-Residence, Alexey Shor. I was first introduced to Alexey Shor's music by my esteemed colleagues Gil Shaham and Maxim Vengerov, who have both championed his compositions for many years. I find it very emotional, communicative and, as a result, highly effective. His evocative piece, Violin Sonata No. 1, will be part of our programme, which is a very technically challenging work for violin. It takes the listener on a musical journey through various styles and offers a concentrated dialogue between the violin and piano.''
He added, ''Aside from that, we will perform two of the most beautiful works for violin and piano. Dvorak's Sonatina was written in New York City in 1893 when he was invited to the United States to help create the new face of American music. He dedicated it to his children, and it is a musical kaleidoscope of 18th-century America with all its sights and sounds. On the other hand, César Franck's magnificent Sonata from 1886 is not only one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written, but it was also a wedding present for the great 28-year-old violinist Eugène Ysaye.''
As the festival draws closer and anticipation builds for Daniel Hope's breathtaking concert, he hopes the audiences at Dubai Opera find solace in ''joy and peace through music'' and revel in the beauty of the classical genre.