Incantation Virgil Boutellis-Taft, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Jac van Steen

• Max Bruch (1838 - 1920):
• 1Kol Nidrei, Op. 4709:02
• Tomaso Antonio Vitali (1663 - 1745):
• 2Chaconne in G Minor09:54
• Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 - 1921):
• 3Danse macabre, Op. 4006:47
• Pjotr Iljitsch Tschaikowski (1840 - 1893):
• 4Sérénade mélancolique in B-Flat Minor, Op. 2610:05
• Ernest Bloch (1880 - 1959): Baal Shem, B. 47:
• 5Baal Shem, B. 47: II. Nigun07:47
• Ernest Chausson (1855 - 1899):
• 6Poème pour violon et orchestre, Op. 2516:57
• Shigeru Umebayashi (b. 1951):
• 7Yumeji's Theme (from the soundtrack of the film In the Mood for Love)02:44
• Total Runtime01:03:16

Info for Incantation

Music with a magical effect: for his new album “Incantation”, French violinist Virgil Boutellis-Taft has set out to find compositions in which his instrument can be heard as a sounding sorceress and conjurer. He found what he was looking for in seven international composers from the 17th to the 21st century, who have dealt with evocative sounds in various ways in the context of spirituality, magic or hypnosis. On February 28, 2020, the French label Aparté will release the recording in Germany, which Virgil Boutellis-Taft recorded in July 2019 together with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of the Dutch conductor Jac van Steen.

Following studies in Paris, Budapest, London and Tel Aviv, his career as a soloist and chamber musician has taken Virgil Boutellis-Taft to major international concert stages such as Wigmore Hall, Berlin Philharmonic, Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, as well as to renowned festivals such as “La Roque d’Anthéron”, “La Folle Journée” and the “Red Sea International Music Festival” in Israel.

For the opening of the 2020/2021 season of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Virgil Boutellis-Taft will perform with the orchestra on 23 September 2020 at Cadogan Hall in London. This will be followed by a joint tour of Great Britain.

Virgil Boutellis-Taft plays the violin “ex-Régis Pasquier” (Venice 1742) by Domenico Montagnana, a generous loan from a private patron.

Virgil Boutellis-Taft, violin
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Jac van Steen, conductor

Virgil Boutellis-Taft
Described as an “unrivaled violinist, » « of fiery temperament », Virgil Boutellis-Taft regularly gives solo and chamber music concerts in Europe and the United States. Next season he will be performing at Carnegie Hall and Merkin Concert Hall in New York, at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées, at Wigmore Hall in London…

He is also invited to perform at major international festivals including Bowdoin (USA), Eilat and the Red Sea Valery Gergiev (Israel) Valdres (Norway), Prussia Cove (England), Les Violons de Légende, Clairvaux, the Roque Anthéron, the Folle Journée (France) … He has played with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra Emeritus of Israel, the Sinfonia Varsovia …

As First Prize of the Paris Conservatory and winner of the Bleustein-Blanchet Foundation, Virgil decided to pursue his musical career abroad, at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, and at the Royal College of Music in London where he obtained his Masters and his Artist Diploma. He then spent two years in Israel, invited by Tel Aviv University for a postdoc, as part of its International Music Program. Virgil has participated in numerous master classes with Zakhar Bron, Ivry Gitlis, Ida Haendel, Schlomo Mintz, Igor Oistrakh, Haim Taub, Hagai Shaham, Almita Vamos… In 2012, he became laureate of the Banque Populaire Foundation. Since 2015, Virgil performs with the violinist Irene Duval in the Duo La Rose and Reseda.

Virgil plays the Domenico Montagnana « ex Régis Pasquier » Venice 1742, through the generosity of a private sponsor.

“Virgil is an accomplished and gifted violinist whose keen sensitivity is matched only by the beauty of his technique. I have heard him on several occasions interpret my work: Apparitions for violin, cello and accordion and Chants du Sud for violin. On each occasion his interpretation never fails to move me.

But the word that comes to mind immediately when I think of his playing is elegance. “

Booklet for Incantation