The program
The artists
The concert
A bold and compelling journey through time, memory and transformation. At its heart stands Max Richter’s celebrated Recomposed: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, a modern reimagining of a timeless masterpiece. With the extraordinary violinist Kerson Leong leading from the front, the music takes on a unique intensity, clarity and emotional power.
The evening opens in stillness with Arvo Pärt’sSumma, a work of quiet, luminous beauty. Setting the Latin text of the Credo in his characteristic tintinnabuli style, Pärt distils faith and contemplation into pure, unhurried sound. It is music that asks the listener to pause — a perfect threshold through which to enter the rest of the programme.
From Estonia to Norway: Edvard Grieg’s Two Melodies for string orchestra offer a warmly expressive contrast. Rooted in Norwegian folk idiom and Romantic lyricism, these two short pieces —The Wounded HeartandThe Last Spring— carry a bittersweet tenderness that lingers long after the final note.The Last Springin particular is among the most quietly heartbreaking things Grieg ever wrote.
Johann Sebastian Bach’s Violin Concerto in E major then brings brilliance and clarity to the first half. One of Bach’s most joyful and inventive concertos, it places Kerson Leong at the centre of an intricate, dancing conversation with the orchestra. The outer movements fizz with energy and wit, while the central Adagio offers a moment of deeply personal lyricism — a reminder that beneath Bach’s architecture lies an inexhaustible expressive depth.
After the interval, the programme takes a bold turn. Max Richter’s Recomposed: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons has become one of the great musical successes of the 21st century — a work that bridges centuries and genres while remaining deeply rooted in Vivaldi’s original musical language. Familiar motifs appear in new guises: pulsing rhythms, shimmering harmonies and subtle electronic textures lend the music an entirely fresh perspective. The result feels both intimate and expansive — like rediscovering a classic through a new and clearer lens.
In this concert, audiences encounter Kerson Leong, one of the most expressive violinists of our time and a returning guest with Camerata Nordica. His most recent tour with the orchestra, marking Camerata’s 50th anniversary, was met with great enthusiasm and confirmed his standing as a favourite with audiences and musicians alike. With his dazzling technique, warm tone and exceptional musicality, Kerson brings a rare combination of precision and depth to Richter’s reimagined seasons.
Together these works trace a journey between light and shadow, memory and renewal. With Kerson Leong at the helm, Camerata Nordica offers an experience in which the familiar becomes new: vivid, enveloping and deeply moving.
