Leonidas Kavakos

A Midsummer Night's Dream Op.61 Leonidas Kavakos

No doubt fairies exist. Mendelssohn spoke their language well. When he considered composing music to Shakespeare's play, he decided to focus on the scenes with fairies. Humans like this music. It entertains them. They are allowed to listen to this CD too. However, we made this recording for fairies. They listen differently. This recording is full of hidden messages, which they will understand. Fairies are around us all the time. They occasionally interfere but sometimes they wait a long time waiting for the right moment. If you keep your voice down and open your eyes, you will notice them. They listen to this music with more attention.

When Iván Fischer founded the Budapest Festival Orchestra more than 30 years ago he made a personal dream become true. Core of the philosophy of the orchestra is the total absence of daily routine. It is about taking the risk, the initiative and freedom to do things differently. Every concert is therefore a joyful discovery of uncharted territory, a journey to new horizons in music. It feels unexpected and surprising as if it was played for the very first time. The Festival Orchestra is driven by an openness towards the new and the unknown, by curiosity and attention to details. It is the innovative approach to music, the musician's dedication and their permanent strive for excellence that made Budapest Festival Orchestra the youngest of the top 10 ranked ensembles in the world.