Witold Lutosławski; Ernest Bloch - Concertos; Schelomo (Jean-Guihen Queyras)

Information

Composer: Witold Lutosławski; Ernest Bloch

• Lutosławski - Concerto for Orchestra
• Bloch - Schelomo
• Lutosławski - Concerto for Cello

Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello

Luxembourg Philharmonic

Gustavo Gimeno, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: harmonia mundi

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Jean-Guihen Queyras and conductor Gustavo Gimeno present a program that highlights contrasting expressive worlds in orchestral and cello repertoire. The journey moves from the lyrical, introspective qualities of Ernest Bloch’s Schelomo to the modernist intensity of Witold Lutosławski’s Cello Concerto, emphasizing the instrument’s vocal range of prayerful, agitated, and whispered expression. In contrast, Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra offers a large-scale celebration of collective orchestral energy and vitality. Together, the works form a musical arc from inward reflection to expansive orchestral exuberance, showcasing both individual expression and ensemble power.

Jean-Guihen Queyras, born in 1967 in Montreal, Canada, is a distinguished French cellist celebrated for his wide-ranging repertoire spanning Baroque to contemporary music. He has taught at the Musikhochschule Freiburg since 2011 and serves as artistic co-director of the Rencontres Musicales de Haute-Provence. Queyras records for Harmonia Mundi, with acclaimed interpretations of Bach and Britten cello suites, Beethoven’s cello works, and numerous concertos. He has premiered compositions by composers such as Ivan Fedele, Bruno Mantovani, and Tristan Murail. Queyras performs with the Arcanto Quartet and plays a 1696 Gioffredo Cappa cello, using specialized bows for historical and contemporary repertoire.