Dresdner Philharmonie

​Alexej Gerassimez is in a class of his own. With a unique blend of dazzling virtuosity and inner tranquillity, he fills the air with the sounds of vibrating metal, pulsating drum skins and reverberating wood. He performs on a wide variety of percussion instruments that play a central role in Sir James MacMillan’s Veni, Veni, Emmanuel, giving the music a beating heart that relentlessly drives the composition’s orchestral energy in ever-new directions. MacMillan’s work combines orchestral tradition with experimental percussion. Audiences can experience a rare blend of raw energy and deep contemplation, dance and meditation, sparkling fireworks and spiritual peace. The concert continues with Dvořák’s “From the New World” played by the Dresdner Philharmonie. It is a fitting choice for such a magnificent evening of adventurous music. The famous Ninth Symphony is a striking reflection of how Dvořák must have felt when he arrived in America from Europe and experienced sounds he had never heard before. At the same time, the familiar pulse of his beloved native Czech folk tunes continues to beat.