New Video: Jacob’s Dream Concerto for Violino Piccolo and Orchestra Performed at the 15th Sofia Gubaidulina International Festival of Contemporary Music “CONCORDIA” in Kazan

A video of the Jacob’s Dream concerto, in an arrangement for piccolo violin and orchestra, has been released on composer Baruch Berliner’s YouTube channel. The performance took place on December 3 as part of the 15th Sofia Gubaidulina International Festival of Contemporary Music “CONCORDIA.” The concerto was delivered by violinist Grigory Sedukh and the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Tatarstan under the baton of the ensemble’s artistic director and principal conductor, Alexander Sladkovsky.

Jacob’s Dream is a violin concerto inspired by the well-known biblical story of Jacob, who had a dream of a ladder reaching to heaven and of God Himself promising blessings to him and his descendants. Violinist Grigory Sedukh transcribed the concerto for violino piccolo in 2024.

Mr. Sedukh is the world’s only soloist performing on the violino piccolo, a singular instrument crafted in the mid-20th century by American acoustician Dr. Carleen M. Hutchins. It represents 30 years of Dr. Hutchins’ scientific research into the evolution of stringed instruments from the 18th through the 21st century. The piccolo violin’s range is one octave higher than that of a standard violin. To sustain this elevated register, specially engineered E strings measuring 0.178 mm in thickness are employed—developed at Bell Laboratories for NASA in collaboration with the renowned Super Sensitive Musical Strings Company.

Holding the titles of National Artist of Russia and of the Republic of Tatarstan, Alexander Sladkovsky serves as Professor in the Department of Opera and Symphonic Conducting at the Zhiganov Kazan State Conservatory and as Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Directed by Mr. Sladkovsky, the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Tatarstan became the first ensemble from a Russian region to be featured on Medici.tv and the Mezzo channel. It has released recordings on the labels Sony Music, Sony Classical, RCA Red Seal, and Melodiya. Mr. Sladkovsky and the orchestra have appeared in Japan (2014), Turkey (2015), Austria and Slovakia (2016), Switzerland (2016, 2017), Germany (2016), Spain (2017, 2020), Dubai (2022), Oman (2022), China (2023), and Vietnam (2025).

Among the partners of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Tatarstan are renowned performers and cultural figures such as Ildar Abdrazakov, Boris Andrianov, Boris Berezovsky, Igor Butman, Aida Garifullina, Hibla Gerzmava, Veronika Dzhioeva, Plácido Domingo, Barry Douglas, Simone Kermes, Sergey Krylov, Vasily Ladyuk, Nikolai Lugansky, Mischa Maisky, Denis Matsuev, Mikhail Pletnev, Edward Radzinsky, Vadim Repin, Sergey Roldugin, Maxim Rysanov, Chulpan Khamatova, Dmitry Hvorostovsky, Nikolaj Znaider, Sumi Jo, and Albina Shagimuratova. Over the years, the orchestra has collaborated with distinguished conductors including Yuri Bashmet, Vladimir Altshuler, Michael Güttler, Ken-David Masur, Christopher Moulds, Andres Mustonen, Krzysztof Penderecki, Marc Piollet, Vladimir Spivakov, Ernst Theis, Vladimir Fedoseev, Dmitry Yurovsky, Kristjan Järvi, Freddy Cadena, and many others.

Video filming by Dmitry Poberezhnyuk
Edited by Dmitry Poberezhnyuk and Andres Izmaylov
Audio recording by Yuri Gordeev
Mixed by Evgeny Atsapkin
Produced by Nachum Slutzker