Petrenko, who has been Musical Director of the UK's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra since 2021, electrified the Kraków audience with a concert of Prokofiev, Max Bruch and Sibelius.
Both the level of the performance and power of the rendition of Sibelius's second symphony left the audience wanting more and encores duly came, beginning with Grieg's Morning. One could not help but think that the piece expressed hope for the situation in Ukraine.
Sergey Krylov was the soloist for the Max Bruch violin concerto in G minor, which received a standing ovation, as did the Sibelius symphony.
Petrenko was born in Leningrad, USSR, in 1976 and completed the (by then) St Petersburg Conservatoire, before beginning a highly successful career in the UK.
He debuted with the Royal Liverpool mPhilharmonic at the age of 28, and was almost immediately named their Principal Conductor - the orchestra's youngest ever. He quickly drew attention for his interpretations of the Russian repertoire, particularly exacting in view of the number of conductors who have already made legendary performances and recordings. Petrenko's complete Shostakovich symphonies with the RLPO are a reference recording.
Petrenko was one of the first Russian musicians to condemn the war, sharing his views with LiverpoolWorld. With a Ukrainian mother and Russian father, and being forced to help close family members evacuate to Bulgaria, he said "It is like one half of me is warring with the other." He cancelled all his contracts and commitments in Russia.
Petrenko and the Royal Philharmonic continue their tour with the same program in Bielsko-Biała.
Next week Cracovians will be treated to another Sibelius symphony, this time under the baton of Polish maestro Jerzy Maksymiuk. The Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra will play Maksymiuk's own work Leaves falling here and there, followed by Szymanowski's second violin concerto and Sibelius' first symphony. The program will be played on Friday and then repeated on Saturday.
Born in Grodno in 1936, Maksymiuk's family moved to Białystok in Poland when he was 11. Like Petrenko, he has also enjoyed a successful career in the UK - in his case with the English National Opera.
Sources: LiverpoolWorld, krakowculture.pl, jerzymaksymiuk.pl
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