Dvořák & Martinů: Cello Concertos Victor Julien-Laferrière, Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège & Gergely Madaras

• Antonín Dvořák (1841 - 1904): Cello Concerto No. 2 in B Minor, Op. 104:
• 1 Dvořák: Cello Concerto No. 2 in B Minor, Op. 104: I. Allegro 15:37
• 2 Dvořák: Cello Concerto No. 2 in B Minor, Op. 104: II. Adagio ma non troppo 11:42
• 3 Dvořák: Cello Concerto No. 2 in B Minor, Op. 104: III. Finale. Allegro moderato 13:09
• Bohuslav Martinů (1890 - 1959): Cello Concerto No. 1, H. 196:
• 4 Martinů: Cello Concerto No. 1, H. 196: I. Allegro moderato 08:39
• 5 Martinů: Cello Concerto No. 1, H. 196: II. Andante poco moderato 09:55
• 6 Martinů: Cello Concerto No. 1, H. 196: III. Allegro 07:21
• Total Runtime 01:06:23

Info for Dvořák & Martinů: Cello Concertos

The winner of the very first Queen Elisabeth Competition for cellists in Brussels in 2017, Victor Julien-Laferrière also won the Victoire de la Musique Classique in 2018 in the category ‘Soloist of the Year’, and joined Alpha Classics in 2019 for several recordings. After a first recital album devoted to Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich and Denisov in the company of the pianist Jonas Vitaud, he now presents two cello concertos by Antonín Dvořák (op.104) and Bohuslav Martinů (no.1, H196), accompanied by the Liège Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Gergely Madaras. The two composers, born in Bohemia in 1841 and 1890 respectively, shared a strong attachment to the music of their homeland and a significant American experience - even if the reason for their travels was very different: Dvořák was director of the National Conservatory of New York from 1892 to 1895 (during which time he composed the ‘New World’ Symphony and this cello concerto) while Martinů emigrated to the United States during the Second World War and remained there until 1953, composing dozens of successful pieces. With this recording, Victor Julien-Laferrière couples two key works for his instrument by eminent members of the Czech school.

Victor Julien-Laferriere, cello
Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liege
Gergely Madaras, conductor

Victor Julien-Laferrière
1st Prize winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition 2017 in Brussels, as part of the first edition dedicated to cello, Victor Julien-Laferrière also won the 1st Prize and two special prizes at the 2012 Prague Spring International Competition. In 2018, he was awarded the Victoire de la Musique in France as “Best Instrumental Solo”.

Victor Julien-Laferrière began the cello with René Benedetti, then studied successively with Roland Pidoux at the Paris Conservatoire, Heinrich Schiff at the University of Vienna and Clemens Hagen at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. At the same time, he took part from 2005 to 2011 at Seiji Ozawa International Music Academy Switzerland. ​

In 2018 and 2019, Victor Julien-Laferrière is the guest of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Valery Gergiev, Orchestre National de France/Emmanuel Krivine, RTÉ Orchestra Dublin/Nathalie Stutzmann, Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse/Tugan Sokhiev, Orchestre National de Belgique/Maxim Emelyanychev, Orchestre National d’Ile de France/James Feddeck, Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra/Stéphane Denève, Jiri Rozen, Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie/Yves Abel, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris/David Reiland, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne/Joshua Weilerstein, I Pomeriggi Musicali de Milan/Yusuke Kumehara, Ural Philharmonic/Dmitri Liss, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra/Alexander Joel, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia/Olivier Grangean, Orchestre National de Montpellier/Michele Gamba, Orchestre National de Lille/Jean-Claude Casadessus. ​

In recital and chamber music, he is the guest of the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Philharmonie de Paris, CelloBiennale in Amsterdam, Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth, Essen Philharmonie, Théâtre des Champs- Elysées, Louisiana Museum in Copenhague, KKL of Lucerne, Tonhalle of Zurich, Auditorium du Louvre, Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, Phillips Collection in Washington, Fondation Louis Vuitton, festivals of Prague Spring, MecklenburgVorpommern, Kuhmo, Gstaad, Copenhagen Summer Festival, Klavier Festival Ruhr, Rheingau Musik Festival, Folles Journées de Nantes et Tokyo, Ester festivals of Deauville and Aix-en-Provence... ​

He also receives many recording awards, including the Diapason d’or of the year 2017 for his sonata album with the pianist Adam Laloum. In January 2019, Victor Julien-Laferrière releases a new album devoted to Schubert with the Trio Les Esprits (Sony Music). His next release is planned for the Automn 2019 with the pianist Jonas Vitaud for the label Alpha Classics. ​

As from 2020, Victor Julien-Laferrière is playing on a beautiful instrument by Domenico Montagnana, property of Xavier and Joséphine Moreno.

Booklet for Dvořák & Martinů: Cello Concertos