The 48th Dresden Music Festival opened with a performance by the NHK Symphony Orchestra from Tokyo. The top Japanese orchestra came to the Elbe with its chief conductor Fabio Luise, who is well known for his previous position as general music director of the Saxon State Opera and chief conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden.
Festival director Jan Vogler himself took part in the opening concert at the Kulturpalast and gave a virtuoso performance of Joseph Haydn's Cello Concerto in C major. Vogler and the orchestra with its warm sound were celebrated by the audience. After the interval, the Japanese orchestra performed Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 4 and demonstrated their class in all instrumental groups. The soloist in the final movement was the Chinese soprano Ying Fang.
