Septenber 20, 2026 | Svetlanov Hall of the Moscow Performing Arts Center
Soloists: Theodosia Ntokou, piano
Lev Klychkov, violin
Conductor – Christian Knapp
Adams. Short Ride in a Fast Machine
Barber. Concerto for violin and orchestra, Op. 14
Bernstein. Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
Gershwin. Rhapsody in Blue for piano and orchestra
On September, 20 at the Moscow International Performing Arts Center American conductor Christian Knapp, who got a brilliant education in Russia and abroad (also with such masters as Yury Temirkanov and Ilya Mussin), now the conductor of the Mariinsky Theater in Saint-Peterburg, will make his debut with the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia. His program with the NPR has been compiled of master works by American composers — John Adams, Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin.
The concert will also feature People’s Artist of Russia, concertmaster of the Saint-Peterburg Academic Philharmonic Orchestra Lev Klychkov (violin) and Greek pianist Theodosia Ntokou — a prize-winner of international competitions in the USA and Europe, a Warner Music artist, known for a long-term co-working with Martha Argerich.
The concert will start with John Adams’ orchestral fanfare Short Ride in a Fast Machine written in 1986 for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for its summer festival. The author explained its title in the following words «You know how it is when someone asks you to ride in a terrific sports car, and then you wish you hadn’t?» The composer reminds of his own experience of riding in a sports car at a fast speed when the initial joy changes into a kind of light terror. The piece is a bright example of postmodernism where pulsing repeated rhythms are painted with radiant orchestral colors.
It will be followed by Violin Concerto by Samuel Barber, a composer whose creations were often referred to as «pompous romanticism». His music is full of melodies and highly expressive while Romantic traditions are paired with elements of Neoclassicism. He wrote the Violin Concerto in 1939 for his classmate at Curtis Institute Iso Briselli as commissioned by industrialist and philanthropist Samuel S. Fells who had largely supported the musician. The repertoire of Briselli, whose performances were highly acclaimed everywhere, included a great many difficult virtuoso works by Sarasate, Wieniawski, Vieuxtemps, Ysaÿe and all important Concertos, thus a new composition sincere and extremely difficult would embellish the series. However, because of some artistic disparities Briselli did not become its first performer. The Concerto was premiered by Albert Spolding in February 1941 with the Philadelphia Orchestra directed by Eugene Ormandi. Since that time, it has been played by many eminent violinists.
In Part 2 the NPR with Christian Knapp will play Symphonic Dances from Leonard Bernstein’s legendary musical West Side Story which brought a world fame to the author. After the overwhelming success of the first night in 1957 the performance had been staged in many other countries and brought to the screen in 1961. In 1960 the composer wrote a symphonic suite first presented in Carnegie Hall. The title Symphonic Dances underscores the principal quality of the dramatic structure of the musical which is based on songs and dances of the post-War America (mamba, cha-cha-cha, rumba, cool jazz).
To close the concert Theodosia Ntokou will add splendor to the night by playing George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue — the work that made the composer famous. Written on suggestion of one of the most known bandleaders of those time Paul Whiteman, American Rhapsody (as the work was initially titled) combined early jazz (with a special role of blues) and romantic features of a piano concerto. The arrangement for piano and big-band was done by Ferde Grofé (a pianist in Paul Whiteman’s band) who also made later the piano-symphony orchestra version.