Canadian violin virtuoso Kerson Leong makes his debut with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra with Paganini's First Violin Concerto, considered by many to be the most difficult violin concerto in the world. Schubert's unfinished Seventh Symphony will also be performed.
Nederlands Kamerorkest speelt Rossini, Paganini en Schubert
Paganini's violin concerto with Karson Leong
Canadian violin virtuoso Kerson Leong won the 2010 Yehudi Menuhin Competition at the age of thirteen and has been performing worldwide ever since. Together with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, led by Gordan Nikolić, he will perform Paganini's challenging First Violin Concerto .
When he performed this work with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in November 2025, Kerson Leong treated his fans to flashy videos of him playing the most difficult passages. ‘A miracle of control and emotion’ , according to The Sunday Times .
Schubert's unfinished symphony
Schubert, whose Seventh Symphony we are playing, is the connecting factor in this programme. He was greatly impressed by this violin virtuoso during Paganini's concerts in Vienna in 1828. Rossini, another contemporary of Schubert, wrote the irresistibly attractive overture from L'Italiana in Algeri , which opens this programme. Around 1823, there was a so-called “Rossini fever” in Vienna. Whereas Schubert's compositions were rarely performed during his lifetime, Rossini's operas were incredibly popular and attracted enormous interest.
This programme can be heard on 13 February in the Concertgebouw, on 14 February in TivoliVredenburg Utrecht and on 17 February in Theater De Vest Alkmaar.
Spotify playlist
Have a listen to the programme in advance via this Spotify playlist:
