From the first measure it grips you and doesn’t let you go!

In November 2011, Esa-Pekka Salonen was awarded the prestigious Grawemayer Award for his Violin Concerto, a piece he completed back in 2009, during the very last weeks of his 17 years as music director of the L.A. Philharmonic.

Esa-Pekka Salonens Violin Concerto is a thrilling piece written for Leila Josefowicz. Salonen conducted the premiere on April 9, 2009 in the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles. In an interview Josefowicz described the work:

"It's strong in character….Each of the four movements has its own mood and message -- its own form. There's a lot of drama but, more important, an incredible amount of substance. I think Esa-Pekka was really inspired. We've had a lot of fun working together on it. It's important for me to know my composers."

She continued "It certainly helps you get interpretive ideas knowing where they're from and how they think.1" Knowing that Salonen finished the concerto only a couple of weeks before the premiere and that the solo transitions between two movements were added just a few days before, makes Josefowicz's performance during the premiere even more virtuoso.

You'll have the opportunity to hear this thrilling work performed by the main-protagonists, on March 7 at the Philharmonie.Furthermore, the Philharmonia Orchestra London will play Beethoven's 7th Symphony.

HERE you can read the interview with Esa-Pekka Salonenwith the L.A. Times, talking about him winning the Grawemayer Award.