On the eve of the Christmas holidays, the music from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite is so closely linked in our minds to the great feast of Christianity, it could hardly be absent from our concerts. The evergreen melodiousness and delicacy of the work is highlighted by the energetic German maestro Cornelia von Kerssenbrock, who regularly appears on the podiums of major orchestras and opera houses in Europe, Asia and America. Performing alongside her, the Greek-Japanese violinist Noé Inui, an inspired and internationally-celebrated poet of the violin, takes on the “Parthenon” of the violin repertoire: Beethoven’s unique Violin Concerto—which, apart from being the only work of this type the composer wrote, is also of singular value.

19:30 introductory talk for ticket holders