Lana

Trotovsek

A particularly meaningful project was performing Howard Blake’s Violin Concerto with the Symphony Orchestra of SNG Maribor, conducted by the amazingly talented Dayner Tafur-Díaz, in SNG Maribor’s Velika dvorana and at the Teatro Comunale di Monfalcone “Marlena Bonezzi.” These performances marked the European premiere of the work and only its second and third performances since its original UK premiere almost three decades earlier, bringing this remarkable concerto back to life for today’s audiences.

It was such a pleasure to make music with Dayner, whose exceptional musical instinct, clarity and energy made this revival especially exciting. It is wonderful to see his remarkable rise continue, and he is now serving as assistant conductor with the Berliner Philharmoniker through the Karajan Academy scholarship, working alongside Kirill Petrenko and guest conductors.

I feel deeply connected to this piece through my personal collaboration with Howard Blake himself. Over the years, I had the privilege of working closely with him, including performances of his Violin Sonata, and we also spent time together exploring the concerto. At the time, Howard asked whether I would be willing to take on the work and help bring it back to life — a request that made these performances especially close to my heart.

To return this powerful and lyrical concerto to the stage after so many years, felt both an artistic responsibility and a deeply personal tribute to the composer’s voice.