The orchestra you will hear on the evening of October 31st, at 9:00 p.m., broadcast live on Radio România Muzical, was formed in 2007 through the merger of the radio orchestras of Saarbrücken and Kaiserslautern-two cities located about 70 kilometers apart, in southwestern Germany. This newly formed ensemble, renowned for the refinement of its performances, will be conducted by Josep Pons, one of today's leading Spanish conductors of Catalan origin, whose interpretative style is marked by analytical precision and timbral sensitivity.

The concert by the German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Saarbrücken-Kaiserslautern will open with a Turkish Ceremonial March, a fragment from the satirical ballet Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (The Bourgeois Gentleman) created in 1670 by Jean-Baptiste Lully in collaboration with Molière. The work masterfully blends music, dance, and pantomime, combining the elegance of courtly art with popular humor to offer an artistic portrait of 17th-century French society.

The program will then feature soprano Julia Lezhneva performing alongside the German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Saarbrücken-Kaiserslautern. Born in Russia, Lezhneva won the "Elena Obraztsova" International Competition for young singers at just 17 years old, later earning several other prestigious awards. She has specialized in Baroque repertoire, performing arias and roles by Händel, Vivaldi, and Porpora, while also excelling in Classical and Romantic works, particularly those of Mozart and Rossini.

Julia Lezhneva will perform the aria "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion" from the first part of Georg Friedrich Händel's oratorio Messiah-a da capo aria noted for its vocal brilliance and exuberance-followed by two arias by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The first, "Ei, parte... senti... ah, no!", is the aria of Fiordiligi, a female figure from the opera Così fan tutte, while the second, "Parto, parto, ma tu ben mio", belongs to Sesto, a character from La clemenza di Tito-a transvestite role, meaning a male role performed by a female singer.

The concert, held in the Grand Studio of Saarbrücken Radio under the baton of Josep Pons, will conclude with a 20th-century work inspired by Baroque aesthetics: the Suite Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, Op. 60, by Richard Strauss-a refined neoclassical composition inspired by Molière's celebrated play of the same name.

We invite you to tune in to Radio România Muzical and journey back in time to the courts of Europe, on Friday, October 31st, 2025, at 9:00 p.m.