Ikon Arts Blog

Raphael Wallfisch's recent performance with the Orkest van het Oosten in October yet again displayed his technical mastery of Offenbach's incredibly difficult concerto: "...First half of the concert consisted of Offenbach's Concerto Militaire for cello and orchestra. British cellist Raphael Wallfisch was visibly enjoying himself, playing magnificently...the operatic component was obvious...this concerto is clearly great fun to play because of all the mad things it has in it..." Twentse Courant, October 2009.

In November, Raphael joins the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra to perform the same piece at De Doelen Rotterdam. This cello concerto, which could almost be seen as a circus act, rarely gets a performance due to its incredibly high demands on the soloist.

Raphael Wallfisch's recent performance in Auckland of Dohnanyi's 1904 Konzertstuck was described as an "exhilarating experience" by the New Zealand Herald.

"This score matches moments of Straussian opulence with the sort of harmonic swoons that Erich Korngold would export to Hollywood, making Wallfisch's essentially restrained interpretation highly effective. When he delivered full-on intensity in the adagio, it was gripping; the cadenza, with solo cello weaving through the orchestral cello section, was evanescent magic." Read more here.