Echoes of the Danube and the Caucasus

The DV'Classical International Festival returns for its second edition, launching with a repertoire celebrating diverse national musical heritages. Hungarian conductor Gergely Madaras leads the program's opening work, Bartók's Divertimento for Strings, delivering traditional Magyar character alongside vibrant folk elements and propulsive rhythms. Celebrated cellist Maximilian Hornung takes center stage next, performing Tchaikovsky's refined and virtuosic Rococo Variations. The concert's second portion marks Malta's inaugural encounter with Azarashvili's Cello Concerto, showcasing the composer's distinctly Georgian voice through rich melodic writing and profound emotional expression. Elgar's Serenade for Strings follows, radiating characteristic English sophistication and serene beauty before the program culminates with Tsintsadze's Miniature No. 6: Sachidao—a spirited, percussion-driven composition rooted in Georgian musical and dance traditions that brings the evening to a thrilling crescendo alongside the De Valette Chamber Orchestra. Carmine Lauri, Music Director Anna Kosinska, Artistic Director Maximilian Hornung, Cello Gergely Madaras, Conductor Programme: Béla Bartók: Divertimento for String Orchestra, Sz. 113, BB 118 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme for cello and orchestra in A major, Op. 33 Vaja Azarashvili: Concerto for cello and string orchestra Edward Elgar: Serenade for Strings in E minor, Op. 20 Sulkhan Tsintsadze: Miniatures: No. 6, "Sachidao" for String Orchestra