Orchestra della Toscana – Niklas Benjamin Hoffmann & João Barradas

About the Event

The closing concert of the season under the baton of Niklas Benjamin Hoffmann showcased a captivating mix: Mendelssohn's 'The Hebrides', an innovative composition by Cristian Carrara, and Kurt Weill’s 'Symphony No.2'.

Spanning nearly a century apart, each piece in ORT's season finale holds a unique place in music history. Mendelssohn's 'The Hebrides Overture', crafted in 1830 during his youthful grand tour, captures the foggy landscapes and tempestuous seas of Scotland, inspired by his visit to the awe‐inspiring Fingal’s Cave. By contrast, Weill’s 'Symphony' emerged in the fraught era of 1933‐34 as a poignant work of an artist in exile, having fled Nazi Germany for France. This politically neutral symphony was first conducted by the legendary Bruno Walter. Complementing these historic pieces is a contemporary work by Cristian Carrara, freshly composed and pooled by resources from multiple prestigious music foundations including Fondazione ORT and the Richmond Symphony Orchestra. Carrara, having been ORT's artistic coordinator from 2020 to 2021, now brings his creative prowess to the evening alongside renowned accordionist Mario João Barradas. Completing the circle is Niklas Benjamin Hoffmann, a prodigious conductor with roots at the London Symphony Orchestra, returning to lead this memorable finale.