Konzerthausorchester Berlin, François Leleux

It’s not uncommon to see pianists or concertmasters conducting an orchestra from the first chair of the first violins in a programme of Viennese Classical music. An oboist who also takes on the role of conductor, on the other hand, is a rarity. We are all the more delighted that François Leleux is once again a guest with the Konzerthaus Orchestra. He is not only a superstar of the “singing reed,” but also a sought-after conductor on the chamber orchestra scene. In addition to Dvořák’s “Legends” cycle and Mozart’s “Prague Symphony,” the programme naturally features a virtuosic work for oboe and orchestra in which the conductor takes up the solo instrument. Composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778–1837), who epitomizes the transition from the Classical to the Romantic period, composed his Opus 102 around 1825.