Minnesota Orchestra turns to Shaham for European tour

Posted at 2:55 PM on August 17, 2010 by Euan Kerr
Filed under: Music, People

Faced with a losing a soloist just days before its high profile European tour, the Minnesota Orchestra today announced Grammy Award-winning violinist Gil Shaham (left) will step in to replace the ailing Lisa Batiashvili who has had to withdraw from the tour because of illness.

The Orchestra will play four high profile dates in just four days, starting with two concerts at the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London on August 27th and 28th. (Both concerts will be broadcast live on Classical MPR stations at 1.30 CDT.)

It then travels to the Edinburgh International Festival for a concert on Sunday the 29th, before wrapping up the following day at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

Lisa Batiashvili was scheduled to play at the second Proms concert and in Amsterdam,. Shaham will step in to play the same repertoire as previously announced: Berg's Violin Concerto at the Proms, and Mozart's Fifth Violin Concerto at the Concertgebouw.

Cellist Alisa Weilerstein will remain as soloist for the other two concerts.

While losing Batiashvili so close to the concerts is a blow, having the more established Shaham step in can only add to the excitement generated by the tour.