On February 28, the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts at Emory University in Atlanta will host an extraordinary musical event featuring acclaimed violinist Daniel Hope and the renowned Polish Chamber Orchestra, an ensemble that traces its history back to Yehudi Menuhin’s musical legacy. The performance tour marks a significant reunion as the orchestra returns to the United States for the first time after nearly two decades.
The upcoming program features Joseph Haydn’s Violin Concerto in G major, a work of elegance and virtuosity, along with his striking Symphony No. 49, “La Passione.” Additionally, the concert includes Wojciech Kilar’s Orawa, an exhilarating piece that captures the rhythmic vitality of Polish folk music.
In anticipation of this special event, EarRelevant’s William Ford sat down with Daniel Hope in a Zoom conversation to discuss his ongoing projects, the upcoming concert, and his enduring connection to the Polish Chamber Orchestra. Their discussion offers insight into Hope’s artistic vision and the significance of this tour.
William Ford: Before we dive into the concert details, I’d like to ask about what you’re doing these days. I noticed you’re the music director at the Frauenkirche Cathedral in Dresden. Could you tell me more about that role?
Daniel Hope: Absolutely. I’ve been serving as the music director there since 2019. We organize around 35 performances a year—not only in the main church, which seats nearly 2,000 people, but also in the crypt that accommodates 200 to 300 guests. Our season includes a mix of guest orchestras, soloists, and our own performances. It’s a tremendous honor to make music in such historic spaces.
Ford: Do you also perform as part of your duties at the church?
Hope: Yes, I perform in about four to five concerts annually, both in the crypt and in the main sanctuary.
Ford: And what about your geographical base? I understand you once lived in Berlin.
Hope: That’s right. I lived in Berlin until last summer. Now, my family and I are based in Zurich. I commute between Zurich and Dresden—a short, one‐hour flight.
Ford: You’re also involved with the Beethoven Haus in Bonn. Can you explain your role there?
Hope: I’ve been the president of the Beethoven House since 2020, an honorary position. Our mission is to celebrate and internationalize Beethoven’s legacy. We organize our own concert series, including an annual Beethoven and chamber music festival, and invite artists to perform in our dedicated halls. The Beethoven House is not only a museum—Beethoven’s birth house—but also the world’s leading research center for his life, housing the largest collection of his letters and memorabilia, with 80 scholars working to preserve everything Beethoven.
Ford: Have there been any exciting discoveries recently?
Hope: Yes. We sometimes uncover new manuscripts or editions. For example, we recently acquired one movement from one of Beethoven’s final string quartets. This handwritten manuscript has a remarkable history: it originally belonged to a Jewish family in the Czech Republic, was stolen by the Nazis, passed through various hands under the communist regime, and only recently was returned to its heirs in the United States. We were honored to purchase it on their behalf, restore it to the collection, and digitalize it for worldwide access. The manuscript, dating from 1827, is in perfect condition—you can even turn its pages, although one must be careful due to its age. It is currently on display at the Beethoven Haus, accompanied by an exhibition detailing its extraordinary journey.
Ford: Is it the original engraving? Is it the handwritten manuscript?
Hope: It’s the handwritten manuscript. It’s absolutely amazing. And it’s also an interesting story. It was Opus 130, and that piece was dissected into movements, and each movement was sold off in the 19th century. And one of the movements. belonged to a Jewish family in the Czech Republic and it was stolen by the Nazis. And when they then fled the Czech Republic, it was then passed back to the then Czechoslovakian government, which then became the communist regime. And it took the family who live in the United States until last year to get restitution. They finally actually got it back. They contacted us and said, would we be interested in buying it and putting it in our collection? After 70, 80 years of turbulence, it finally came back to the house in which Beethoven was born.
I’ve had the joy of looking at and studying the Kreutzer Sonata of Beethoven, for example, of which we have the original manuscript. And if it’s a piece that you’re playing in particular, and then you suddenly see it in front of you, it’s a really moving and very, very thrilling moment to actually be one-on-one with the composer’s thoughts in that moment. There’s no editions, no publishers. It’s just Beethoven and the very singular way in which he expressed himself. And if you’re alone with him in that room, it’s really spine-tingling!
Violinist Daniel Hope with Polish Chamber Orchestra. (courtesy of Classical Music Communications, New York)
Ford: You’ve also been active with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. How does that role differ from your work in Dresden?
Hope: I’ve been the music director with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra since 2016, performing about 10 to 12 concerts locally and up to 40 when touring. With Zurich, I lead from the first chair rather than conducting with a baton. I call it “play directing.” It’s a practice I’ve embraced for nearly 20 years—it brings a direct, almost conversational energy to the performance. With conductorless orchestras like the New Century Chamber Orchestra in the US, we develop our own signals during rehearsals. Of course, that means there are occasional moments when we need to recalibrate our timing, but it’s all part of the dynamic, collaborative process.
Ford: What about your work with the New Century Chamber Orchestra in San Francisco?
Hope: I remain deeply involved with them. I began as an artistic partner in 2016 and became their music director in 2018. I spend about four weeks a year with the ensemble, based mainly at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, while also touring throughout the Bay Area and beyond. The New Century Chamber Orchestra has a strong focus on 20th-century and contemporary music, commissioning new works and providing a vibrant platform for modern repertoire. Working with them is a dynamic and refreshing experience.
Ford: Switching gears a bit—how many concerts do you perform nowadays?
Hope: I now do about 120 concerts a year. On my 50th birthday in 2023, I played 180 concerts—that was a record, but I decided to scale back afterward. Approximately 70% of my concerts are in Europe, while the rest take me to the United States, Asia, and occasionally Australia.
Ford: Do you notice differences in audiences around the world?
Hope: Absolutely. Every audience is unique—even within the same city, one evening might feel very different from another. I find American audiences to be very open, friendly, and enthusiastic. In contrast, European audiences sometimes require a bit more engagement to build that connection over the course of an evening. I’ve experienced everything from the thunderous applause in South America—where it feels like scoring a goal—to moments of polite reserve in places like Japan. Rarely are audiences discourteous, no matter the location. Once, during a performance at Vienna’s Musikverein, I witnessed a rare, jarring instance of booing, which was both shocking and deeply unfair to the performer. But it appeared to be only one patron who was making the commotion.
Ford: Moving on, when did the idea for your current tour come together?
Hope: We’ve been planning this tour for about a year and a half. It’s co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland and was also driven by my dear friend Doug Sheldon—a superb presenter who wanted to reunite our musical family. It’s been a real pleasure reconnecting with old friends and welcoming new ones, especially since I’ve performed in Warsaw and continue to nurture those long-standing relationships.
Ford: And your connection with the Polish Chamber Orchestra—what’s the story there?
Hope: I’ve known them since I was five, largely through my mentor Yehudi Menuhin. The Polish Chamber Orchestra is part of Sinfonia Varsovia, which was Menuhin’s ensemble of choice. We share a long and cherished history. In fact, it’s been almost 20 years since they last toured the United States, so reuniting with them in Atlanta is particularly special.
Polish Chamber Orchestra (courtesy of Classical Music Communications, New York)
Ford: You will be performing Haydn’s first violin concerto?
Hope: Yes, I’m playing the G major Haydn violin concerto—a beautiful work with a gorgeous second movement. It’s one of only three extant Haydn violin concertos. There’s an interesting debate about the authorship of the string quartets, but the G major is indisputably Haydn. Alongside that, our program features Haydn’s “Passione” Symphony—a piece that contrasts lightness with brooding darkness—and even a work by Wojciech Kilar, whose music, though less known in the US, is incredibly powerful. Kilar’s composition Orawa was written for the Polish Chamber Orchestra, and it perfectly captures a modern, rhythmic energy that resonates deeply with audiences.
Ford: On a related note, why are there so few Haydn violin concertos?
Hope: The violin concerto was still emerging as a form during Haydn’s time, and the court of Esterházy—where he worked—prioritized symphonic works to impress royalty. Although he wrote only a handful, the concertos he did compose, such as the C major concerto, display an elegance and ease that foreshadow the developments we later see in Mozart’s work. Haydn himself recognized Mozart’s genius, famously telling Leopold Mozart that his son was the most talented composer he’d ever encountered. In a way, Haydn may have been waiting for someone like Mozart to expand on the form.
Ford: Will you be both conducting and soloing?
Hope: I only direct from the violin. I don’t actually conduct. I only take on the concertmaster position, or I guess you would say kind of kapellmeister. So leading symphonies or leading concertos, I’m doing it with the violin.
I am really looking forward to returning to Atlanta with the Polish Chamber orchestra. The concert will be at Emory University’s Schwartz Center on February 28 at 8 p.m.
Ford: You’ve also dabbled in film music. Could you tell me about that?
Hope: Certainly. About a decade ago, I recorded an album titled Escape to Paradise (The Hollywood Album), focusing on composers who fled Europe and shaped the early Hollywood sound. I’ve performed works by Max Steiner, Miklós Rózsa, and even contemporary composers like John Williams and Alexandre Desplat. I’m a huge film fan, and one unforgettable experience was performing Bernard Herrmann’s score for Hitchcock’s Psycho live with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. Synchronizing a live orchestra to film heightens the tension and drama—an experience I’ll never forget.
Ford: Before we wrap up, you mentioned having a special connection to Georgia. Could you elaborate?
Hope: Certainly. I spent 16 wonderful years at the Savannah Music Festival, where I helped organize both classical and chamber music performances. That region holds a very special place in my heart, and I’m excited to return to Atlanta to share this journey of Mozart and Haydn with an audience that I know will be both enthusiastic and receptive.
Ford: Thank you, Daniel, for sharing these insights. Your work bridges history, performance, and innovation—and it’s always inspiring to hear about your musical journey.
Hope: Thank you very much. It’s been a pleasure to chat, and I look forward to sharing more music with all of you soon. ■
No comments:
Post a Comment