The Oradea State Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Janko Zsolt and featuring virtuoso harpist Alexander Boldachev, will present on Thursday, as an absolute European premiere, Harp Concerto No. 3, Op. 293 by Nicholas Charles Bochsa, one of the works written 200 years ago, recently rediscovered and performed only twice worldwide, the institution announced on Tuesday in a press release.
"The concerto score was found only last year, but its beauty has prompted several musicians to create transcriptions for various instruments. The work has been performed in concert only twice so far, once in Canada, in Toronto, and once in Mexico, both performances belonging to Boldachev's teacher. Therefore, the Oradea State Philharmonic concert marks not only a national premiere, but even a continental one," the press release reads.
The Oradea concert programme, titled The Harp Ballet, will open with Serenade for Strings, Op. 48, and conclude with Themes from Three Ballets by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (specifically The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty), arranged for harp and orchestra.
The Philharmonic's leadership points out that the harp is a rare and distinctive instrument within the orchestra, valued for its delicate and expressive sound and its ability to create an atmosphere of reverie and emotion.
Although it does not have great volume and is usually unique within an orchestra, the harp stands out through its elegance and refinement, holding a special status compared to other instruments.
"In the orchestra, the harp may be considered a queen at a noble court, just as ballet is on stage, among other art forms," the press release notes.
Nicholas Charles Bochsa (1789-1856) was a French harpist and composer. The son of musician Charles Bochsa, Nicholas was a child prodigy, studied at the Paris Conservatoire and enjoyed early career success, becoming harpist of Napoleon's Imperial Orchestra and a composer for the Opera Comique. Accused of fraud in 1839, he fled France and settled in London, where he contributed to the founding of the Royal Academy of Music and held important positions in English musical life. Believed to have inspired the character Svengali in George du Maurier's Trilby, Bochsa led a scandal-marked life alongside soprano Anna Bishop, touring Europe and America and later working in Naples before dying in Australia in 1855. His legacy includes several rarely performed operas and harp concertos.
Alexander Boldachev, 36, is a virtuoso harpist, composer, conductor, producer and professor of Russian-Swiss origin, known for his modern and innovative approach to the harp. He is internationally recognised for redefining the role of the harp and for fusing classical and contemporary music.
He has performed in more than 50 countries, on prestigious stages such as Carnegie Hall, the Musikverein Vienna and the Elbphilharmonie, as well as in unconventional settings, including the Burning Man festival. He is a prolific composer, with over 300 works combining classical music with rock, jazz, electronic and film music, which have received international awards and nominations. His activity also extends to education, as an associate and guest professor at prestigious institutions, and to cultural initiatives, as founder of World Harp Day and the Zurich Harp Festival.
"Boldachev's artistic vision is guided by a single belief: that everything is possible, using the harp as a universal voice to connect cultures, genres and communities around the world," the Philharmonic's press release further notes.
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