A familiar face returned to the podium this weekend as conductor Lawrence Foster reunited with the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra for a special concert at the Auditorium Rainier III, celebrating the music of Beethoven and Benjamin Britten…
Foster, the orchestra’s former artistic and musical director, spoke warmly about returning to conduct the ensemble, reflecting on the pleasure of reconnecting with familiar colleagues whilst getting to know some of its newer musicians.
The concert also marked the beginning of a series of performances dedicated to Beethoven ahead of the 200th anniversary of his death in 2027. The programme opened with the composer’s Leonore Overture No. 2, followed by his Fourth Piano Concerto, performed by acclaimed Hungarian pianist Dezső Ránki.
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The evening also featured Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, bringing together tenor Hugo Brady and Patrick Peignier, the orchestra’s principal horn player. The programme concluded with Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, a colourful showcase of the orchestra’s instruments and their individual characters.
For Foster, who celebrates his 85th birthday in just a few weeks, the concert was more than another performance; it was a joyful reunion with an orchestra that remains close to his heart.
