Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden

“Conducting in Dresden means experiencing music at the heart of its tradition,” says Daniele Gatti, who has been the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden's principal conductor since 2024. The Italian conductor embraces the defining characteristics of this orchestra with great sensitivity: tradition, excellence, and a unique sound quality. Ludwig van Beethoven's Violin Concerto, which begins unconventionally with five soft drumbeats, is also in a class of its own. “It's a masterpiece that I never tire of, no matter how often I hear or play it,” admits Augustin Hadelich, a former child prodigy on the violin who had this concerto in his repertoire by the age of eight. ‘Its difficulty,’ says the exceptional German-American violinist, ‘lies in its transparency. It is a perfect work, and any impurity is immediately noticeable to the listener.’ The slow movement holds a particularly special place in his heart: 'It is one of the most beautiful pieces ever — simple, intimate and human'.