Leonidas Kavakos, a Musician at Olympic Heights

Would Leonidas Kavakos have traded the taste of nectar and ambrosia for the heavenly sound of the violin? Given the remarkable, almost thirtyyear career the Greek musician has enjoyed not only as a soloist, but also as a conductor, the answer seems obvious. The violin has accompanied this musician from his earliest youth. He was influenced by the aura of Claudio Abbado at the European Union Youth Orchestra just as much as by winning the renowned international Jean Sibelius Competition in Helsinki, becoming one of the youngest winners in its history. Since then he has been sought after through- out the world, and known to take his audiences by storm with his technically brilliant and virtuoso playing. Kavakos has not forgotten his roots, founding his own chamber music festival in his native city of Athens.

Leonidas Kavakos’ versatile personality will also influence his season as Artist in Residence at the Philharmonie Luxembourg. In addition to a recital with his piano partner Yuja Wang, he meets the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg first as a conductor with the cellist Gautier Capuçon, as well as a soloist himself under OPL’s chief conductor Gustavo Gimeno, playing Beethoven’s Violin Concerto – a work he has already recorded in an acclaimed interpretation. The Philharmonie’s audience will have ample opportunity to encounter a brilliant musician who has definitely reached Olympian heights.

Cover photo: Alfonso Salgueiro Lora