Korngold, Beethoven

Conductor: Aleksandar Marković

Soloist: Robert Lakatoš, violin

Program:
E. W. Korngold: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 (1945)
L. van Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55, Eroica (1804)

The journey from heroic vision to personal catharsis — from the revolution of the spirit to its renewal through beauty and melody — serves as the guiding idea of the Vojvodina Symphony Orchestra’s concert, to be held on Sunday, November 30, at 8:00 p.m. in the Novi Sad Synagogue. The orchestra will perform under the direction of Chief Conductor Aleksandar Marković, featuring the distinguished Novi Sad violinist Robert Lakatoš as soloist.
Although separated by more than a century, the two works on the program share a common theme — a tribute to the human spirit and to art as a means of renewal. Beethoven’s Eroica, the monumental symphony that marked the dawn of the Romantic era, embodies the ideals of heroism, individual struggle, and triumph over limitation. Written in a time when Europe faced the collapse of its ideals and the questioning of freedom, the symphony became a symbol of faith in the power of the individual and of art.
Korngold’s Violin Concerto, composed shortly after the end of the Second World War, carries a similar spirit but in a different tone: instead of revolutionary pathos, it offers introspective lyricism and nostalgic beauty. As an émigré and a celebrated film composer, Korngold combines sumptuous orchestration with emotional sincerity, creating music that celebrates the return of art and humanity after devastation.

“An ideal soloist of opulent, self-assured tone who constantly strives to dazzle the audience with his virtuosity” (P. Connors, Bachtrack), violinist Robert Lakatoš is the winner of the First Prize at the prestigious Pablo de Sarasate International Violin Competition in Pamplona, Spain (2015), as well as the Mary Smart Competition in New York (2013), and top prizes at the Andrea Postacchini Competition in Italy and the Jeunesses Musicales Competition in Romania. These successes opened the doors to his international career on renowned concert stages around the world.
Born in Novi Sad in 1991, Lakatoš grew up in a musical family, receiving his early training from his father, violinist Imre Lakatoš. He graduated from the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad in the class of Professor Dejan Mihailović and continued his studies at the Zurich University of the Arts, while also refining his artistry under eminent musicians such as Aaron Rosand, Julian Rachlin, Roman Simovic, and Rudolf Koelman.
He currently serves as Professor of Violin at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad and at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade. Since 2018, he has been the Artistic Director of the Robert Lakatoš Chamber String Ensemble, composed of his students. He performs on a 1709 Antonio Stradivari violin from the private collection of renowned bow maker Vladimir Radosavljević, whose bow he also uses.

A visionary of sound with a refined sense of style, Aleksandar Marković brings scores to life through a rare synergy of artistic sensitivity, expressive leadership, and profound musical insight. He studied conducting with Leopold Hager at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and attended masterclasses at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, where he was awarded an honorary diploma. He is a recipient of the Herbert von Karajan Foundation scholarship in Berlin and winner of the 7th Grzegorz Fitelberg International Conducting Competition in Katowice, Poland.
Starting in the autumn of 2025, following a fruitful collaboration between 2021 and 2023, Marković will once again assume the position of Chief Conductor of the Vojvodina Symphony Orchestra. During the same period, he begins his collaboration with the State Philharmonic of Košice in Slovakia, where he will lead four concert programs in the upcoming season. Since 2022, he has also served as Principal Guest Conductor of Sinfonia Varsovia.
Marković made his American debut in 2020 at the Seattle Opera, conducting Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. In the 2016/2017 season, he was Music Director of Opera North, and from 2009 to 2015 he served as Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Brno Philharmonic, shaping the orchestra’s distinctive sound. Between 2005 and 2008 he was Chief Conductor of the Tyrolean State Theatre in Innsbruck, where he led acclaimed productions of the standard operatic repertoire.
In addition to his conducting career, Marković is active as a lecturer and public speaker on leadership, motivation, and music. He serves as a jury member and mentor for young artists at the Summa Cum Laude Festival and the Eurovision Young Musicians Competition in Vienna. In 2015, he conducted the annual concert of the Symphony Orchestra of the University of Music in Graz, and ten years later led a conducting masterclass at the University of Music and Theatre in Hamburg. A new course is planned for 2027 at the Zagreb Academy of Music.

Tickets are available at the box office of Muzička omladina Novi Sad (Katolička porta 2, tel. 021/452-344) on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., or online at the link HERE.
Ticket price: 1200 RSD.
Students, pupils, and retirees are entitled to a 50% discount for tickets purchased at the box office of Muzička omladina Novi Sad.