Hungarian cellist Péter Somodari and the Vienna Chamber Orchestra will be under the spotlight at Hồ Gươm Opera House in Hà Nội to perform a variety of top pieces by world-famous composers.

Vienna Chamber Orchestra will perform at Hồ Gươm Opera House in Hà Nội on November 23&24. Photo courtesy of Wiener KammerOrchester

The concerts, taking place on November 23 and 24, are part of the theatre’s Musical Seasons 2024-25 art programme, a series of concerts, ballet and opera performances.

Under the baton of conductor Harald Krumpöck, Somodari and the orchestra will play compositions by Haydn, Schubert, and Strauss. The repertoire includes Symphony No 73 in D Major 'La Chasse' Hob. I:73 and Cello Concerto in C Major Hob. VIIb:1 by Haydn; Symphony No 5 in B-flat Major D 485 by Schubert; and Voices of Spring (Frühlingsstimmen Waltz, Op. 410) by Strauss.

Founded in 1946, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra boasts a rich musical heritage with milestones like Benjamin Britten's conducting in 1946, the nine-year-old Daniel Barenboim's debut in 1952, and Alfred Brendel's performance in 1964.

The orchestra has collaborated with distinguished conductors such as Carlo Zecchi, Philippe Entremont, Yehudi Menuhin, Sándor Végh, Heinrich Schiff, and Stefan Vladar.

Cellist Péter Somodari. Photo courtesy of Wiener KammerOrchester

Since its inception, the orchestra has hosted matinée cycles at the first-class music centre Vienna Konzerthaus and has been committed to fostering young talent through the Prime Time International series.

It regularly performs at Vienna's most famous centre for classical music, Vienna Musikverein, and has been a partner of the historic Theater an der Wien and Vienna Chamber Opera since 2012.

Starting this year, the orchestra is a permanent partner of the captivating open-air opera festival Wiener Opernsommer Belvedere and has a five-year partnership with the Liszt Festival Raiding – an event dedicated to the genius piano virtuoso and composer Franz Liszt.

As an official partner of the Johann Strauss 2025 organisation, the orchestra will perform in numerous additional concerts in Vienna.

The Vienna Chamber Orchestra's international reputation is demonstrated by its extensive touring in countries like Japan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and Argentina.

Conductor Harald Krumpöck. Photo courtesy of Wiener KammerOrchester

Conductor Krumpöck hails from a musical family, with several family members in the Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna Symphony Orchestra. He began playing the violin early on and, in 1986, received a scholarship to study at the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, US.

In 1988, he served as concertmaster of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. He joined the Vienna State Opera orchestra in 1993 and the Vienna Philharmonic in 1996. Since 2006, he has also been a member of the Vienna Hofmusikkapelle.

Cellist Somodari currently serves as the principal cellist of both the Vienna State Opera and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, frequently collaborating with renowned musicians in chamber music concerts.

Somodari holds degrees from the Hochschule für Musik in Saarbrücken and the Liszt FerencAcademy of Music in Budapest.

He has received numerous awards, including first prize at the 2005 International Music Competition in Markneukirchen.

He has recorded two albums and is currently a visiting professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna (Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien). VNS