In today’s world of classical music, it’s rare for someone to be equally recognised as both a conductor and as a composer, and for that recognition to span not only his homeland but also across Europe, all the way to the other side of the ocean. We are even happier that amongst these rare few, one of them is Hungarian. This is Péter Eötvös, whose 75th birthday we are also celebrating at this concert. His career is even more unique in that his compositions left a mark in multiple genres, specifically in a space where it has proven difficult for contemporary composers to find common ground with their audience: the opera. That being so, at any given time his creations are almost always being performed on a stage somewhere in the world. His artistry and style are equally unifying and far-reaching. Our program hints at his range, with a selection of English, Italian and Latin language works following each other. And since we’ll be celebrating not only the composer but also the conductor, who else could lead the orchestra but the composer himself, Eötvös Péter.