Brahms Violin Concerto

Dvořák Symphony No. 7

About the Conductor

Gustavo Gimeno

Recognised for his clarity, versatility, and thoughtful musical leadership, Gustavo Gimeno has distinguished himself with orchestras and in opera. Music Director of Toronto Symphony Orchestra since 2020/21, Gimeno recommitted to the orchestra through the 2029/30 season. 2025/26 is his inaugural season as Music Director of Madrid’s Teatro Real. 

He is much sought-after as a guest conductor worldwide. This season, he debuted with the New York Philharmonic, conducted Dvorak’s New World Symphony and sharing the stage with Helene Grimaud and returned to the Los Angeles Philharmonic with Sibelius Symphony No.1 and soloist Renaud Capuçon. Recent highlights include appearance with Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Münchner Philharmoniker, Berliner Philharmoniker, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra and The Cleveland Orchestra. As an opera conductor, he has conducted major titles at great houses such as the Liceu Opera Barcelona, Opernhaus Zürich and Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, Valencia.

About the Violinist

María Dueñas

Spanish violinist María Dueñas has emerged as a luminous talent in classical music captivating audiences with her extraordinary range of tonal colours, impeccable technical prowess, and interpretations that blend artistic maturity with bold expressiveness. The New York Times praised her ability to breathe “new life into well-known pieces“ and described her as a “22-year-old violinist who has something to say, and the skill to say it brilliantly“.

Her meteoric rise led to an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon, a significant milestone in her burgeoning career. María Dueñas' debut album, Beethoven and Beyond, released in 2023, showcased her remarkable interpretation of Beethoven's violin concerto, featuring cadenzas composed by herself. This recording, made with the Wiener Symphoniker under Manfred Honeck, earned her the prestigious Opus Klassik award as Young Artist of the Year in 2024, adding to an extraordinary array of grand and first prizes at international competitions, including the Senior Division of the Menuhin Competition, the Vladimir Spivakov International Violin Competition and the Zhuhai International Mozart Competition. Her unique interpretative approach has also been honoured by the Rheingau Music Festival, BBC Radio 3 and the Princess of Girona Arts and Letters Award. February 2025 marked the release of her second Deutsche Grammophon album, an ambitious project centered around Paganini's legendary 24 Caprices and works inspired by Paganini from composers spanning from Berlioz to contemporary artists. For this recording, she was distinguished as Young Artist and Instrumentalist of the Year at the 2025 Gramophone Classical Music Awards.

About the Orchestra

Luxembourg Philharmonic

Since its founding in 1933, the Luxembourg Philharmonic has stood for cultural vitality in the country at the heart of Europe, forming part of the broadcasting activities of Radio Télévision Luxembourg (RTL). Since 1996, it has been the national orchestra of Luxembourg and domiciled at the Philharmonie Luxembourg since 2005. With its 99 musicians hailing from more than 20 nations, the Luxembourg Philharmonic has developed its own orchestral sound over the course of its almost one hundred years of existence, reflecting the open-mindedness of the Grand Duchy and its key role in the process of European integration.

The orchestra was shaped by its successive music directors Henri Pensis, Carl Melles, Louis de Froment, Leopold Hager (conductor laureate since 2021), David Shallon, Bramwell Tovey, Emmanuel Krivine and Gustavo Gimeno. From 2026/27 onwards, Martin Rajna will be the orchestra’s music director. The label Pentatone released nine albums of the Luxembourg Philharmonic between 2017 and 2021, followed by the label harmonia mundi France which the orchestra now collaborates with. Since 2021, the Luxembourg Philharmonic Academy has been offering young instrumentalists a two-year preparatory programme for orchestral careers. The orchestra is a strong proponent of concerts and workshops for students, children and families. It collaborates closely with the Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg, Cinémathèque de la Ville de Luxembourg, CAPE Ettelbruck and Opus. The orchestra appears regularly in musical capitals of Europe and beyond, giving Luxembourg a worldwide presence.