Cellist Kian Soltani plays as first among equals with the virtuoso players of the Amsterdam Sinfonietta, in a concert that ranges from the elegance of Haydn to the raw energy of Sir William Walton.
Caramel and sunlight: an evening of gripping performances by a superstar cellist and a virtuoso orchestraAustrian-Iranian cellist Kian Soltani is a force of nature: one of the most energising musical personalities of the new millennium, whose cello playing leaves critics grasping for words. “His cello sound has the fuzz and richness of caramel,” The Washington Post wrote of his playing, “and he plays with an easy warmth, drawing the orchestra after him like a halo around a candle flame.” Soltani is a natural collaborator and he’s delighted to be working with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta, a dynamic Dutch ensemble whose energy matches his own.
Haydn’s elegant, sunlit Cello Concerto No 1 forms the heart of their collaboration, followed by a sequence of Lieder transcriptions by Mendelssohn and Schubert: a perfect showcase for Soltani’s eloquent, expressive sound. And the Sinfonietta has a powerful artistic personality of its own, dazzlingly displayed in Sir William Walton’s electrifying Sonata for Strings, as well as C. P. E. Bach’s Sinfonia in G Major and Thomas Adès’ Shanty—Over the Sea. Come expecting an evening of gripping performances.
Source of the above information: Hong Kong Art Festival 2025 official website