Jan Vogler, who lives in New York City, is one of the top cellists of our day. The German musician became principal cellist for the Staatskapelle Dresden at the age of 20, and has toured the world as a soloist for more than 20 years. He has played all of history’s greatest pieces on his fabulous sounding (and very valuable) Stradivarius, including this piece from the French romantic composer, which holds a special place in his repertoire. French classics by the likes of Rameau were revisited in the second half of the 19th century at the intellectual urging of Saint-Saëns, only to be forgotten again for decades until the late 20th century, when the variety and originality of the music was marvelled at once again. This orchestral suite from the opera Les Indes galantes is veritable treasure trove of these styles. Later in the evening, Zsolt Hamar will conduct one of the most popular works of German Romantic symphonic music. The modest Austrian composer’s grandiose, captivating fourth symphony is full of romantic melodies and penetrating power, and is a true challenge for orchestras, and an acoustic experience like no other for audiences.