Famed for his breathtaking beauty of sound and jaw-dropping virtuosity, Andreas Ottensamer hails from a family of Viennese clarinetists. His late father was principal clarinet of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, while his oldest brother also became the Vienna Philharmonic’s principal clarinet. Andreas has been principal clarinet of the Berlin Philharmonic for almost a decade. The Austrian artist’s eloquence and musical empathy can be heard in Alexey Shor’s neoclassical Clarinet Concerto, which received its world premiere in March last year. Born in 1847 in Paris to an Irish father, Augusta Holmes defied the prejudices of her age and her mother’s objections to become a significant figure in French music. Her short tone poem Pologne, completed in 1883, reflects on Poland’s subjugation by Russia, Prussia and Austria and the country’s heroic struggle for independence. The concert concludes with the raw emotions and turbulent energy of Dvorak’s Seventh Symphony.

The InClassica Malta International Music Festival is organised by the European Foundation for Support of Culture (EUFSC), led by Konstantin Ishkhanov, in collaboration with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO).