Elisabeth Week: Stella Chen plays Dvořák

For the second time this season, chief conductor Marc Albrecht invites a laureate of the Queen Elisabeth Competition to Antwerp. American violinist Stella Chen won First Prize at the prestigious competition in 2019. Since then, she has been reaching new heights with her clear tone and breathtaking technique. These qualities come into their own in Antonín Dvořák's Violin Concerto, which combines virtuosity with Bohemian-inspired melodies. The Czech theme runs like a thread through the evening. Whereas Smetana's Moldau, like Dvořák's Concerto, is a highlight of Romanticism, Janáček confidently enters the twentieth century. His Sinfonietta is a powerful tribute to the Czech army – which explains the unusual instrumental combination with many brass instruments – but also to his birthplace Brno.

Dramatic, rhythmic and lively: this symphonic evening in good company will linger in the memory for a long time to come.