Christian Vásquez continues gaining international recognition and becoming one of the most in demand conductors born out of the System of Youth and Children's Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela. He recently concluded a European tour that included performances in Austria, France, Spain, Germany and Norway.

The tour kicked off on February 24, in Vienna, with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, which he will join next year as chief conductor. The concert was held at the Wiener Konzerthaus and the program consisted of works by Manuel de Falla, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Arturo Márquez and Leonard Bernstein.

On March 1 and 2 he performed in France with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse. Carl María von Weber’s Der Freischutz Overture, Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, and Antonin Dvorak‘s Symphony No. 8 in G major, op. 88 made up the program. On March 4 he led this orchestra in two educational concerts that were narrated by Jean-François Zygel.

In Spain, Vásquez conducted the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana at the Castellon Auditorium and Conference Centre (on March 8) and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía (on March 10). The program for both concerts included Francisco Llácer Pla’s Rondó myrmidon, and Violin Concerto in D Major, op. 35 and Symphony No. 5 in E minor, op. 64 by Piotr Ilych Tchaikovsky.

On March 18 and 19 Vásquez and the German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra gave two concerts at the Karlsruhe Concert Hall.

“I miss Venezuela a lot (…) I will be working on a tight schedule as soon as I get back, specially with the Teresa Carreño Youth Orchestra. I am also scheduled to visit some núcleos located in the state of Aragua, which are growing quickly and becoming seedbed for gifted artists,” pointed out Vásquez.

The tour concluded on March 29, in Stavanger, Norway. In this city, Vásquez and the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, performed at the Stavanger Konserthus a program that featured works by Manuel de Falla, Arturo Márquez, Juan Pablo Moncayo, Silvestre Revueltas, Inocente Carreño, Alberto Ginastera, Leonard Bernstein and Zequinha de Abreu.

“It has been a great honor to represent Venezuela in these countries with long-established musical tradition. Each concert entails a new learning experience that helps me grow professionally. I am grateful to maestro José Antonio Abreu for what he has taught me,” explained Vásquez.