Thomas Wilkins, conductor
Adam Golka, piano
Hannah Eisendle: Heliosis
Edvard Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor
Antonin Dvořák: Symphony No. 6 in D Major
Two majestic, folk-inspired works anchor this moving program led by VSO Principal Guest Conductor Thomas Wilkins. Pianist Adam Golka brings his poetic expression to one of the world’s most beloved piano concertos, shaped by Norwegian traditional music. In his Sixth Symphony, Antonín Dvořák weaves the sounds of Bohemian folk music into a heartfelt tribute to his homeland.
Thomas Wilkins is an internationally renowned conductor and Norfolk native who was named the Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s first-ever Principal Guest Conductor in 2021. He is Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra; the Boston Symphony’s Artistic Advisor, Education and Community Engagement; and holds Indiana University’s Henry A. Upper Chair of Orchestral Conducting.
Pianist Adam Golka leads a rich artistic life as orchestral soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, recording artist, pedagogue, and innovator. A first-generation American, born to Polish parents, Adam has performed with many of the major orchestras around the world including the San Francisco, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, and Seattle symphonies, the BBC Scottish Symphony , the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Canada), the Warsaw Philharmonic, the Shanghai Philharmonic , the Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco (Mexico), and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional (Colombia).
Hannah Eisendle is a conductor, composer and pianist. All three areas have in common an orientation towards the contemporary and a desire to cooperate with artists from different fields. In her compositions, she is often inspired by extra-musical impressions, images and other art forms, which she transforms into sounds. She came to international attention as a composer with her orchestra work heliosis, which was commissioned by the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna (RSO).