PRESS RELEASE Brno, February 2, 2026
The Brno Philharmonic Orchestra is preparing two concerts this week, featuring world-renowned clarinetist Sharon Kam as soloist under the baton of internationally acclaimed conductor Ivor Bolton. The program, entitled Three Stars of German Romanticism, will feature works by Carl Maria von Weber, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, and Johannes Brahms. “The first of these was a pioneer of this style, the second fully developed it, and the work of the third represents the pinnacle of the classical-romantic branch, emphasizing music as an absolute art form,” said Vítězslav Mikeš, dramaturge of the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra.
Sharon Kam will perform the solo part twice, first in Brahms’ Opus 120 No. 1, arranged by Luciano Berio, and second in Weber’s Concertino in E-flat major. “The Israeli-German artist made her debut with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta at the age of sixteen and has since played with the world’s best orchestras. In addition to the classical repertoire, she has also premiered many works of contemporary music,” said Marie Kučerová, director of the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, adding that Kam has won numerous music awards for her recordings.
Both evenings will open with the overture from Weber’s opera Abu Hassan, which was composed in the then-popular Turkish style and uses cymbals and triangles to enhance its effect.
In 1894, Brahms composed two sonatas for clarinet and piano, which are among the gems of chamber music literature and which the composer later arranged for the viola. One hundred and two years later, the Los Angeles Philharmonic commissioned Luciano Berio to write an orchestral version of the first of these sonatas, which Berio called Opus 120 No. 1. “He adapted the work with sensitivity and respect for the original, capturing the subtle nuances of Brahms’ instrumentation and leaving the structure intact. It is an interesting experiment in which Brahms’s music triumphs with its high mastery, inventiveness, stylistic refinement, and chamber-like transparency, attributes that have permanently placed the original Sonata in F minor among the constants of the world repertoire,” explained music journalist Emil Drápela, former principal clarinetist of the Brno Philharmonic.
After the intermission, Sharon Kam will return to the stage, this time in the short Concertino in E-flat major, which Weber composed in just four days. It is a unique, varied, concertante essence of contrasting moods that fit together perfectly and demonstrate the three-part structure of an instrumental concerto. The final piece, Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3, nicknamed “Scottish,” is based on an idea that came to the composer during his stay in Scotland, specifically in the ruins of Holyrood in Edinburgh, as an image of the coronation of the unfortunate Mary Stuart.
The orchestra will be led by British conductor Ivor Bolton, one of Europe’s most respected conductors of Baroque and Classical repertoire. He is currently the head of the Dresden Festival Orchestra and the Basel Symphony Orchestra, artistic director of the Teatro Real in Madrid, and honorary conductor of the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra, where he served as chief conductor for twelve years. He has made critically acclaimed recordings of Bruckner’s symphonies. He has received many prestigious music awards, and in 2024 he was awarded the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his services to culture.
Both evenings are sold out, but Standing+ tickets are available, which allow holders to occupy any empty seats in the hall.
The concert Three Stars of German Romanticism will take place on Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. at the Besední dům. Tickets are available online at filharmonie-brno.cz, at the philharmonic box office, or at the venue before the event.
Media contact: Kateřina Konečná, +420 775 426 040, katerina.konecna@filharmonie-brno.cz
