Staatskapelle Dresden celebrates season finale with Prokofiev and Chin

The Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden bid farewell to its audience with a fairy-tale and dance-themed program, marking the end of its symphony season. Under the baton of Elim Chan, the orchestra delivered a standout performance of Sergei Prokofiev's ballet music "Romeo and Juliet." The 39-year-old conductor, who hails from Hong Kong and is slated to become the music director of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, received significant applause for her interpretation, as did the individual musicians.

Earlier in the evening, Chan and the Staatskapelle presented less frequently performed pieces. Paul Dukas's symphonic poem, inspired by Goethe's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," was followed by a work from Unsuk Chin. The South Korean composer, who held the title "Capell-Compositrice" this season, had her work introduced to the Dresden audience. Her composition "Puzzle and Games" from the opera "Alice in Wonderland" was performed, with Australian soprano Siobhan Stagg delivering a captivating rendition with her clear voice and strong stage presence.

The Staatskapelle Dresden concludes a successful season, with extensive international tours reaching 58,000 fans across Europe and Asia, including Milan, Prague, Vienna, Paris, China, and South Korea. In total, the orchestra performed in 71 symphony, special, chamber, and children's concerts, in addition to 209 opera and ballet performances in Dresden. The orchestra reported a remarkable 95.6 percent capacity utilization. The final concert program will be repeated on Monday and Tuesday, with a final performance evening on Thursday before the orchestra begins its summer break.

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The Kapelle - as it is called by its fans - proved to be in top form under the direction of Elim Chan.