Salzburg Chamber Soloists
In 1991 the violinist Lavard Skou-Larsen and a handful of colleagues decided to form an unusual ensemble. The aim of this ensemble was to perform orchestral chamber music with the freedom of soloists. Skou-Larsen combed Europe and the rest of the world until he had a group of first class musicians. Their inspiration was the unforgettable Sandor Végh, whose charisma had influenced many members of the group considerably. In only its first year of existence, the orchestra toured the United States and Canada.
From 1992 to 1995, Boris Belkin was Artistic Director of the ensemble. During his tenure, the orchestra released two CDs of Mozart's work. In 1993 the first big tour of South America took place. returning with the critics' prize for the best foreign orchestra to have performed at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires that season.
Since then, the orchestra has performed in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam; the Philharmonie, Berlin; the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris; the Tonhalle, Zurich; the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro; and other important concert halls. The Salzburg Chamber Soloists are regular guests at various festivals, including Academia Chigiana, Siena; the Turku Music Festival, Finland; the Mozart Festival, Würzburg; Schubertiade, Roskilde; MIDEM in Cannes; and the Salzburger Kulturtage. In 2001 the orchestra was invited to Lebanon to perform the final concert of the Baalbeck Festival.
In 2006, the 250 years celebration of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birth, the orchestra held 17 concerts in Salzburg at the prestigious Grosser Saal des Mozarteums, and over 100 concerts worldwide at prestigious festivals and concert halls in Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey and Italy.
In spring and fall of 2006 and 2009 the ensemble returned twice to the USA and Mexico performing 29 concerts at important concert series coast to coast like the Krannert Center, Stanford University, Worcester, Palm Beach, Kennedy Center (Washington), Tuesday Evening Concert Series (Charlottesville), and opening the Festival del Centro Historico in Mexico City. Together with soloists Andreas Klein at the piano and cellist Katharina Gross they received highest accolades from press, presenters and audience alike.
2012 another tour followed and in 2013 the Salzburg Chamber Soloists had their debut in New York at the Metropolitan. The New York Times wrote: "The Salzburg Chamber Soloists gave an elegant and rich textured account of the Haydn work. The playing had both the freedom and attentive interplay of fine chamber music performances".
Since 2008 the orchestra is regularly playing the opening concert of the international summer academy of the Mozarteum/Salzburg in July and acts as orchestra in residence. The Salzburg Chamber Soloists recorded for DENON and Coviello Classics.
