The world's first mandolinist to be nominated for a Grammy, Israeli-born Avi Avital has always been driven by his dreams. His greatest desire, to bring the mandolin, once more popular than the guitar in Vivaldi's time, back onto the concert scene, has already been realised, making him a superstar at the biggest festivals – Verbier, Salzburg Festival, Tanglewood, Ravenna – and the most prestigious concert halls – Carnegie Hall, Tonhalle, Royal Albert Hall, Berlin Philharmonie.
His charismatic personality and boundary-pushing virtuoso performances captivate both audiences and the musical community. Over 90 new works have been created at his initiative, including 15 mandolin concertos with orchestra. The exclusive artist of Deutsche Grammophone, his repertoire spans from original mandolin works to arrangements of pieces by Bach, tango compositions, and folk music from the Balkans.
Even Bach's piano concertos receive a unique flavour when performed on Avital's custom-developed mandolin, demonstrating the well-known fact that Bach's music transcends instrumental boundaries. The Auer Festival in Veszprém is proud to welcome back Avi Avital, who had previously quickly gained the love of the audience here. This time, he will perform as a soloist with the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra.
Programme subject to change.