Russian violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky.

The Bangkok Symphony Orchestra Foundation will be presenting "Dmitry Sitkovetsky Plays Sibelius Violin Concerto", the second in its 2012 Great Artists of the World concert series, on Aug 9 at the Thailand Cultural Centre.

Featuring a rare appearance by this top international violinist, the concert is part of the celebrations marking HM the King's 84th birthday and HM the Queen's 80th birthday.

The Russian virtuoso will play with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Chikara Iwamura, serving up a programme that includes Sibelius' Violin Concerto in D Minor (Opus 47) and Karelia Suite (Opus 11) and Shostakovich's Symphony No.9 in E Flat Major (Opus 70).

Sitkovetsky was born in 1954 into a musical family in Baku, Azerbaijan, then a part of the Soviet Union. His father Julian, a prize-winning violinist, was a frequent collaborator with two other major Soviet artists, the violinist David Oistrakh and cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. His mother is the distinguished pianist Bella Davidovich.

After studying at the Moscow Conservatoire, the young Sitkovetsky left the Soviet Union in 1977 to continue his studies at the famed Juilliard School in New York. He soon won two major prizes _ the Kreisler Competition, named after violin great Fritz Kreisler, and the Avery Fisher Career Award in New York.

As a soloist, Sitkovetsky has worked with some of the world's most prestigious orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus, London Symphony and London Philharmonia, the BBC Symphony, the Philadelphia, Cleveland, Los Angeles and New York philharmonics, and the Chicago Symphony. He has performed at the Salzburg, Lucerne, Edinburgh, Verbier, Ravinia and Mostly Mozart festivals.

He has an active and varied recording career which has seen him record all the major violin concertos. He is also a committed chamber musician and recitalist who maintains a high profile throughout the US, Europe and Asia.

The concert begins at 8pm in the TCC's main hall. Tickets cost 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000 and 2,500 baht and can be purchased from Thai Ticket Major booths (call 02-262-3456 or visit www.thaiticketmajor.com).
For more information, contact the BSO Foundation on 02-255-66178 or 02-254-4954 or visit www.bangkoksymphony.org.