Accordi Musicali Festival Artist Alexander Chaushian Performs Alexey Shor’s Cello Concerto in Lisbon

The concert took place at the historic Academia das Ciências de Lisboa as part of the 14th edition of Festival Cantabile, presented in collaboration with the InClassica International Music Festival and the Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa’s concert season. 

The evening brought together works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and contemporary composer Alexey Shor, creating a musical dialogue between different centuries and artistic traditions.

At the heart of the programme was Shor’s Cello Concerto No. 1, Musical Pilgrimage, composed in 2018. Structured in three movements, the concerto takes listeners on a stylistic journey, incorporating influences ranging from Baroque and Classical music to tango and the virtuosity of the Romantic era.

Chaushian’s performance placed the expressive possibilities of the cello at the centre of this musical exploration, highlighting a work that combines contrasting musical traditions within a contemporary orchestral setting. 

The programme opened with Mozart’s Symphony No. 29 in A major, K. 201, and concluded with his Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat major, K. 364, featuring violinist Christel Lee and violist Diemut Poppen, who also serves as Artistic Director of Festival Cantabile.

Under the direction of Pedro Neves, the Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa brought together the evening’s soloists for a programme celebrating both the enduring legacy of the Classical repertoire and contemporary musical creativity.

The concert formed part of Festival Cantabile’s 2026 edition, which ran from 26 September to 6 October, presenting a series of performances across Lisbon and Setúbal.

The performance also reflected the shared commitment of Festival Cantabile and InClassica to connecting internationally established performers, orchestras and audiences through a diverse classical music repertoire.