The Norwegian violinist and composer Henning Kraggerud is considered one of the best instrumentalists of the 21st century, who easily combines what is versatile in music – in his work we can encounter both improvisation and rich arrangements evoking the works of turn-of-the-past-century masters, such as Josef Suk or Eugène Ysaÿe. Together with his daughter Alma Serafin Kraggerud and the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic, the artist will perform works by eminent Scandinavian composers.

The concert will begin with improvisation for solo violin, which seems to be part and parcel of Kraggerud’s activity. It will be preceded by the melodic composition by Ole Bull and Johan Halvorsen, La mélancolie, full of dramatic lyricism. The Norwegian violinist also took up the challenge of arranging Edward Grieg’s violin sonatas in an innovative way into three concertos for solo violin with orchestral accompaniment, including the Violin Concerto in C minor op. 45, featured in the programme. Grieg’s activity is also strongly associated with the Norwegian national element, an example of which is, inter alia, Two Nordic Melodies for string orchestra op. 63, characterized by sensitive sonic qualities and subtle harmony, reminiscent of Scandinavian landscapes. We will also hear the nostalgic Romance for violin and orchestra op. 26, one of the most popular works by Johan Svendsen, a composer known for his sophisticated orchestration, a great lover of Wagner’s music and a friend of the German composer.

The concert will end with Romantarctica, a piece by Henning Kraggerud, filled with late-romantic sounds, which had its world premiere last February in Tromsø, Norway. The composition was commissioned by the Arctic Philharmonic and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, two professional orchestras operating in the most northern and southern cities – in Tromsø, Norway, and Hobart, Australia.