Paul Terracini  conductor
Kirsten Williams  violin

DVOŘÁK  Carnival Overture
WIENIAWSKI  Violin Concerto No, 2 in D minor
BRAHMS  Symphony No. 2 in D major

Dvořák described his Carnival Overture as depicting “a lonely, contemplative wanderer reaching at twilight a city where a festival is in full swing”. Its festive energy sets the scene for a concerto rich in both Romantic lyricism and technical showmanship, by the Polish violin master Henryk Wieniawski. Kirsten Williams, Associate Concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony, is one of Australia’s most inspiring musicians – a virtuoso violinist, highly-regarded strings educator and passionate musical contributor to community causes.

Completing our cycle of Brahms symphonies, the second symphony is the lightest and most cheerful of the four: sometimes likened to Beethoven’s “Pastoral”, it stands in contrast with Brahms’ notoriously brooding and stern personality.