The Full Works Concert – Tuesday 21 May: Rising Stars

The second of this week's concerts which turn the spotlight on rising stars of the classical music world.

All this week on the Full Works Concert, Jane Jones is focussing on soloists who are fast becoming some of the most in-demand classical musicians of today.

The concert kicks off with George Gershwin's dazzling Rhapsody in Blue played by 35-year old David Greilsammer. Born in Jerusalem, Greilsammer studied piano and conducting at New York's prestigious Juilliard School. He is best known for his interpretation of Mozart’s music but his recording of Rhapsody in Blue garnered wide acclaim with one critic saying, "The Rhapsody in Blue has never felt more like jazz than it does here, and the major melody in the middle of the work, generally played for sheer emotional payoff, is approached and developed with unique subtlety."

Sol Gabetta is an Argentine cellist of French and Russian descent, now living in Switzerland. Since winning her first competition at the age of 10, she has gone on to win numerous other awards. She gained international acclaim at the Lucerne Festival playing as soloist with the Vienna Philharmonic under Valery Gergiev in 2004. Since then she often gives concerto performances all over the world. Tonight she performs Elgar's heart-rending Cello Concerto. 

When he was 13, tenor Vittorio Grigolo played the Pastorello in a performance of Puccini's Tosca at Rome's opera house, where he shared the stage with Pavarotti. It was then he was given the nickname 'Il Pavarottino'. Grigolo's recording of West Side Story with Hayley Westenra entered the Classic FM Chart at number one. His second studio album, "The Italian Tenor", in 2010 was rated by Classic FM's David Mellor as among the best opera recordings of 2010. 

J.S. Bach's English Suite No.3 in G minor is played tonight by Simone Dinnerstein, an American pianist who became celebrated, both critically and commercially, for her recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations, released in 2007. In 2010, she signed with Sony Classical and in January 2011, released her first album on the label entitled "Bach: A Strange Beauty". 

Tonight's concert ends with Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto played by David Garrett, the 32-year old German violinist. He also attended Juilliard where he studied under the legendary Itzhak Perlman. Since completing his studies, the violinist has committed himself to introducing young people to the classics and kindling enthusiasm for classical music. 

George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue 
Piano: David Greilsammer 
Steven Sloane conducts the Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio France 

Edward Elgar: Cello Concerto in E minor
Cello: Sol Gabetta
Mario Venzago conducts the Danish National Symphony Orchestra

Ernesto De Curtis: Torna a Surriento
Tenor: Vittorio Grigolo
Pier Giorgio Morandi conducts the Orchestra del Teatro Regio di Parma

Johann Sebastian Bach: English Suite No.3 in G minor
Piano: Simone Dinnerstein

Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D major
Violin: David Garrett
Mikhail Pletnev conducts the Russian National Orchestra