Violin concerto “Jacob’s Dream” premiers in Austria

On August 9, the violin concerto “Jacob’s Dream” by composer Baruch Berliner and producer Nachum Slutzker will be performed in Vienna for the first time.

“Jacob’s Dream” is a concerto inspired by the familiar Bible story and the image of Jacob, who saw in his dream a ladder leading to heaven and God Himself promising prosperity to the patriarch and his progeny.

Initially conceived as a violin concerto, the piece is now performed as a concerto for violin, viola, or clarinet with orchestra. The composition will be played by the United Europe Orchester under the baton of Vasily Yurkevich. The solo part will be performed by Graf Murzha, a merited artist of Russia, recognized as one of the most brilliant, talented, and distinctive violinists in Russia and Hungary.

At the age of 16, Mr. Murzha distinguished himself in two prestigious international competitions—the Premio Paganini in Genoa (1990) and the Vianna da Motta International Music Competition in Lisbon (1991), where he received a special prize for his performance of the chaconne from Béla Bartók’s sonata for solo violin. Mr. Murzha graduated from the Moscow Conservatory and completed his doctoral studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London with the highest grades in the history of the institution. He also received a prize from the Hattori Foundation in London for outstanding academic achievements. Since 1990, Mr. Murzha has given solo recitals and collaborated as a soloist with symphony orchestras, esteemed conductors, and renowned musicians throughout Russia and Europe, performing at prestigious concert venues. An Associate Professor at the Moscow Conservatory, he conducts master classes in the UK, France, Russia, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The internationally acclaimed violinist has served on the panels of judges for Russian and international competitions since 2005. Mr. Murzha plays an Alessandro Gagliano violin crafted in Naples in 1719. The instrument was granted to him for lifetime use by a benefactor and violin aficionado.