On Thursday evening, renowned violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and pianist Lambert Orkis gave a moving performance before a packed auditorium at the Luxembourg Philharmonie in aid of an SOS Villages d'Enfants Monde project for children in Syria.
HRH the Grand Duke honoured the evening with his presence, alongside government officials such as Minister of the Family, Corinne Cahen, and Secretary of State for Culture, Guy Arendt.
In her welcome speech, the President of SOS Villages d'Enfants Monde, Marjolijne Frieden, said it was a joy to gather everyone together for this event organised with the support of CBP Quilvest but also a result of the terrible reality faced by victims of war in Syria. She thanked Anne-Sophie Mutter for her commitment and generosity in showing her support to SOS, before a documentary was shown, shot by SOS teams on the ground, which bore witness to the feats that have been accomplished but also the significant work that remains to be done.
The programme featured the complex Clockwork for violin and piano by American Sebastian Currier and Mozart's magnificent Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major, K.526. The works of Maurice Ravel and his dynamic and jazzy Sonata for Violin and Piano in G major, Francis Poulenc and the dramatic Sonata for Violin and Piano dedicated to Federico García Lorca and the elegant but difficult symphonic poem Introduction et rondo capriccioso op. 28 by Camille Saint-Saëns were equally delivered with the same amount of gusto and concluded the second part.
The audience had a further chance to experience the virtuosity of the violinist and the accomplishments of the two musicians through a short piece by Arthur Benjamin performed following the recall. The musicians were thanked for their performances by means of thunderous applause from the audience.
Photos by SOS Villages d'Enfants Monde/Carlo Hommel
