Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra

Beethoven and Prokofiev: two brilliant composers writing for large orchestra, brought together in a powerful double bill led by Chinese-American conductor Xian Zhang and the world-renowned violinist Hilary Hahn.

Hilary Hahn has long been closely associated with Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, the work that helped launch her international career when she was just 15. This season, she returns to this daunting masterpiece — long considered unplayable — immersing us in music that exudes joy, where the violin and orchestra engage in a dialogue of perfect harmony.

In the second half, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France extends this sense of radiant intensity with Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5, an epic masterpiece premiered at the very end of World War II. A tribute to the human spirit, it showcases the composer at his finest: deeply moving lyricism, irresistible energy, a rich and powerful orchestral voice—and a sharp, sardonic wit.

Musical director Xian Zhang 
Violin Hilary Hahn

^{Photo Xian Zhang © B Ealovega
Photo Hilary Hahn © Chris Lee}

Ludwig van Beethoven
Concerto pour violon en ré majeur, op. 61 

Sergueï Prokofiev 
Symphonie n° 5 en si bémol majeur, op. 100