Yehudi Menuhin, one of the foremost violinists of the 20th century, is honoured in this tribute by two of his former pupils: Festival Director Nicola Benedetti and fellow violin virtuoso Alexander Sitkovetsky.

Benedetti takes centre stage for Edward Elgar’s much-loved Serenade for Strings and Béla Bartók’s exhilarating, folk-infused Divertimento, while Sitkovetsky steps into the spotlight for Andrzej Panufnik’s haunting Violin Concerto, written in 1971 to showcase Menuhin’s profound ‘spiritual and poetic’ musicianship. The two soloists join forces in the dazzling interplay of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins.

This deeply personal programme features the original 2023 cohort of Rising Stars throughout. Rising Stars is our mentorship scheme for up-and-coming musicians which embodying Menuhin’s lifelong commitment to nurturing talent and extending his influence across generations.

Part of our Focus on Poland series featuring seven concerts celebrating Polish culture.

The NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra, resident at the National Forum of Music in Wrocław, takes centre stage as the flagship ensemble of our Focus on Poland series during their International Festival Residency.