Musical Enigma By Clara-Jumi Kang

On Tuesday 6th February, South Korean/German violinist Clara-Jumi Kang, the Winner of the 2009 Seoul Violin Competition, 2010 Sendai Violin Competition, and 2010 Indianapolis International Violin Competition, travels to Dubai to present a concert as part of the 2024 InClassica International Music Festival, organized by SAMIT Event Group. Teaming up with the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, who shall be performing under the baton of Estonian conductor Anu Tali, Kang shall interpret several works throughout the evening, starting with Max Bruch’s renowned 1866 Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, easily one of the most famous and popular entries in the violin repertoire. This is followed by Composer-in-Residence Alexey Shor’s Violin Concerto No. 5 in C minor, a work composed during the Covid-19 pandemic that is notably darker in tone and imagery than many of his earlier works, presenting a distinct conflict between the soloist and the orchestra, after which comes Edward Elgar’s Variations on an Original Theme, popularly known as the Enigma Variations. Premiered in 1899, this orchestral work consists of fourteen variations on an original theme, with each variation being inspired by members of his circle of close acquaintances.