Organising a festival in times of COVID 19 felt like dancing on the verge of a volcano. Everybody on their toes, because everybody knew it might all go well, but it might just as well turn into mayhem all of a sudden, and end up with a massive explosion.

It indeed was an unchartered territory, which came with a complex mix of big emotions and overwhelming moments.

Remember how our stellar guest, Vilde Frang, described playing a concert being like stepping out in the middle of a highway? That's exactly how this year's festival felt! Breathtaking, thrilling, full of excitement, explosive energy and enthusiasm.

And this is also how we can best describe our last 2020 festival event. BartolomeyBittmann Progressive Strings Vienna is nothing short of a musical earthquake, shaking the most prominent festivals and concert halls all over the world with their highly diverse performances, magnetic charisma, delicate subtility and electrifying intensity.

All said, the 2020 Festival Maribor ends appropriately: with a bang! And some very special groove.

It happened. What we all feared from day one, but hoped to avoid. We did all that we could, but the virus that managed to put the whole world under its reign, once more proved its crown is a powerful omen, ruling over everything we do these days, Festival Maribor's programme schedule no exception.

Lawrence Power, the eagerly anticipated third of our "all-star trio" is not being able to attend the festival due to the pandemic travel restrictions. So, we are deeply saddened to announce that our An evening for Beethoven programme, scheduled for Tuesday, September 22nd has to be altered.

As the capricious goddess Fortuna seems to be shunning us, we have turned to another deity for help. The authority supreme of musical Olymp, no less. Johann Sebastian Bach.

A concert programme dedicated entirely to his cello-suites, nicknamed »The Old testament of cello literature« for their immense impact on classical music, is no doubt a more than worthy replacement, and a wonderful gift to all chamber music devotees! Especially with Nicolas Altstaedt as a soloist. A virtuoso, whose mesmerising interpretation of Bach's masterpieces have won him international acclaim, didn't hesitate for a moment to jump in, proving once more his absolute commitment to Art and Music.

Thank you, Nicolas! Thank you from our hearts! We are grateful to have you in our Festival Maribor family, and we appreciate your willingness to step in on such short notice.

We are positive that you, our audience, will appreciate it as well. As one critic described Altstaedt's Bach Cello suites performance: »When he plays, as a listener one realises immediately: he has something to say!« So let's listen and hear what messages the musical deities have for us! It must be one of optimism and gratefulness for having such wonderful music and musicians helping us through these difficult times!

 

 

 

»I always felt like being on stage was like walking out in the middle of a highway. You're in a place where you know you're not supposed to be. But at the same time, you feel like the king of the highway. There's this adrenaline kick. You feel like you can be run over by a car at any time.«* 

Vilde Frang is often described as feisty, quirky, organic or irreverent. An uncompromising artist, who dares to go where a lot of her fellow members of today's classical music superstar circle don't. She bravely ventures in interpretative territories unknown and her (and our) reward is a discovery of new depths in music, event the one which is so familiar it surely holds no more surprises.

Quite a few of those surely await in Brahm's Double Concerto, where Nicolas Altstaedt will join her. Another artist, who dares to stay true to himself, in spite the mighty music industry forcing more and more of it's brightest stars into the moulds, which will assure better sales, but not necessarily better art.

Uncompromising playing, uncompromising faith in one's art and two of the most exciting artists of our time... He who dares, wins, the saying goes. In our case, we are the winners! Our reward: an unforgettable evening with distinctive, unique musical DNA awaits! Artistic Courage, September 21.

 

Interwiev with Hartmut Welscher, 2016, van-us.atavis.com