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Festival debuts in Grafenegg

First-time guests in 2025

Published: 04/11/2024

Four stars of classical music make their first guest appearances at Grafenegg this year, like so many before them.

Daniel Lozakovich

He came to prominence aged seven; just two years later he debuted with the Moscow Virtuosi under Vladimir Spivakov. He signed his exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon at the age of 15. Born in 2001, Daniel Lozakovich is already one of the most remarkable violinists of our time, his name spoken of in the same breath as Christian Ferras and Jascha Heifetz. At his debut on August 17th, he brings his rich violin tone, virtuosity and musicality to Jean Sibelius’s Violin Concerto.

Bruce Liu

Even by the high standards of today’s young pianists, what French magazine Diapason called Bruce Liu’s «elfine» virtuosity stands out, as proven by his triumphant victory in the Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 2021. As Friedrich Schiller put it in «The Song of the Bell»: «For where the rough is with the supple / Where strong itself with mild doth couple / The ringing will be good and strong». In Rachmaninov’s «Paganini Variations» on August 23rd at the Wolkenturm, Bruce Liu combines high virtuosity and unerring musical sensitivity.

Petr Popelka

As Chief Conductor of the Wiener Symphoniker, Petr Popelka takes his place in a great tradition. His path to the conductor’s podium has been logical but not direct: a former double bassist in the Staatskapelle Dresden, he also studied composition in Freiburg. Popelka, born in Prague in 1986, joins the Czech Philharmonic to perform music by his compatriot Antonín Dvorák: the great B minor Cello Concerto and the abundantly melodic Symphony No. 6.

Alexandra Dovgan

Alexandra Dovgan is one of the exceptional talents of our time. Born in 2007, Festival debuts in Grafenegg the pianist distinguishes herself not only by her manual talent but also by her unusual musical maturity, which amazes even established virtuosos such as Grigory Sokolov: «There are things that cannot be taught or learned. Alexandra Dovgan’s talent is exceptionally multifaceted and balanced. Her performance is genuine and concentrated. I predict a great future for her.» Festival visitors can convince themselves of Alexandra Dovgan’s exceptional talent on August 29th, when she has chosen Camille Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 2 for her Grafenegg debut: Music that combines virtuosity and depth in a perfect way.