Bows Chase Visions · Mozart's Grace Prevails

Ning Feng and the Kammerakademie Potsdam: The Complete Mozart Violin Concertos

19:30 · Friday, October 16, 2026 · Forbidden City Concert Hall

Ning Feng, violin and direction · Kammerakademie Potsdam

One Bow, Five Mozartian Summits

Highlights

To play all five of Mozart's violin concertos in a single evening is, by any measure, a feat to command respect. Tonight the internationally celebrated Chinese violinist Ning Feng, in the double role of soloist and director, joins Germany's Kammerakademie Potsdam for a complete panorama of the Mozart violin concertos.

Nearly all five concertos date from 1775, when Mozart — not yet twenty — was serving as concertmaster at the Salzburg court. Within that concentrated span we hear a genius maturing at astonishing speed: from the divertimento-like brightness of the first two concertos to the full flowering of song, drama and exotic color in the last three, the continuous portrait of the young Mozart's growth unrolls before the listener in a single evening.

Ning Feng, among the most internationally renowned of Chinese violinists, is admired for the purity of his technique and the sincerity of his musicianship. Tonight he not only plays but leads: play-directing was precisely the custom of Mozart's own day, when the soloist was the ensemble's guide. It demands total command of the score — and rewards it with an intimacy between soloist and orchestra that no baton can supply.

His partner in this marathon, the Kammerakademie Potsdam, is a German chamber orchestra prized for precision and stylistic purity, scaled exactly to the sound-world of Mozart's era and quick to answer the soloist's every impulse. Listeners may care to follow the evolution of the slow movements — from the well-mannered beauty of the first two concertos to the celebrated “heavenly” Adagio of the Third — as Mozart's lyricism deepens step by step; and to savor the cadenzas, where Ning Feng's own artistry and imagination stand alone in the light. To play and direct all five in one night is to test the very limits of stamina and concentration; it is also one performer's declaration of love for the composer he holds dearest.

Program Notes

Violin Concerto No. 1 in B-flat major, K. 207

The cycle's opening work, written between 1773 and 1775, brims with youthful verve. Its manner still carries traces of the divertimento and the Italian style, and the dialogue between soloist and orchestra is comparatively simple — but Mozart's native gifts of song and elegance are already unmistakable. A brisk first movement, a tenderly singing second, a light-footed rondo finale: the ideal doorway into the cycle. Youngest of the five it may be, yet the violin's fluent cantilena already announces the Mozart to come.

Violin Concerto No. 2 in D major, K. 211

Completed in 1775, the Second carries forward its predecessor's bright elegance while gaining in balance and ease. Compact in scale and intimate in tone, it is like the graceful self-introduction of a well-mannered young man. The slow movement sings with particular sweetness, the solo line unfolding gently over cushioned strings; the rondo finale is quick and courtly, alive everywhere with Mozart's instinct for making instruments sing. A small canvas, finely polished — the step at which Mozart's writing turned from excellent to touching.

Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216

With the Third, Mozart's violin concertos come fully of age. The first movement is open and radiant, the solo part newly confident and free; the Adagio is a held breath, its pure, floating line often called one of the loveliest slow movements Mozart ever wrote; and into the finale he springs a surprise — a sudden rustic dance in altered tempo and style, witty and wholly unexpected. Mozart's craft advances visibly here: the dialogue between soloist and orchestra grows subtler and more dramatic, and the winds receive color and independence of their own. In technique and in feeling alike it marks the young composer's decisive leap, and it remains among the most frequently performed of all his concertos.

Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major, K. 218

The Fourth is all pomp and polish. The soloist's ringing entry gives the first movement a ceremonial blaze; the second turns to warm, lyric song; the finale alternates minuet grace with quick-footed rondo high spirits, ballroom gaiety written into every bar — poise and energy in perfect balance. The trumpet-like flourish of its opening has earned the work the occasional nickname of “Military” Concerto; together with the Fifth it represents the full maturity of Mozart's concerto writing, in brilliance and in song alike.

Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, K. 219

The crowning work of the cycle is its largest, most dramatic and most imaginative — by common consent the summit of Mozart's art in the genre. After the orchestra's brisk introduction, the soloist enters not with fireworks but with a dreamlike Adagio suspended out of time, and only then launches the true Allegro — a stroke of pure genius. Most famous of all is the finale: into its elegant minuet erupts a wild “Turkish” episode, the low strings striking with the wood of their bows in imitation of Janissary drums — an irruption of the exotic that gave the work its nickname, the “Turkish” Concerto, and gives tonight's Mozart marathon its final, delighted surprise.

Ning Feng｜Violin／Conductor

Ning Feng is recognised internationally as an artist of great lyricism, innate musicality and stunning virtuosity. He performs across the globe with major orchestras and conductors, and in recital and chamber concerts in some of the most important international series and festivals. The Washington Post has described him as “a wonderful player with a creamy, easy tone and an emotional honesty” and Gramophone magazine said of his recent Brahms Sonatas recording that his “tone is simply ravishing, even when it soars into the stratosphere…”.

Highlights of the 26/27 season include appearances with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Kammerakademie Potsdam, Ensemble del Arte, and recitals at the Concertgebouw, Wigmore Hall, Premiere Performances Hong Kong, Melbourne Recital Centre and Ukaria Cultural Centre. He will also return to Z+ Festival in Shanghai, Dresden Music Festival, Cambridge Music Festival, Madrid Juan March Foundation, and make his debut at Beirut Festival. This season, he also holds the title of the first Artist-in-Residence of Chengdu Symphony Orchestra. In Oct. 2026, Ning Feng will embark on a 8-concerts China tour together with Kammerakademie Potsdam, performing the complete Mozart Violin Concertos and Symphony No.33 as both soloist and conductor.

In recent seasons Ning Feng has performed with New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, National Symphony and Minnesota Orchestras in the US. In Europe he performs regularly with the very top orchestras, including Bavarian Radio Symphony, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Vienna Radio Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic, Berlin Konzerthaus Orchestra, The Hallé and National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra. In UK with orchestras including London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic and Bournemouth Symphony. Elsewhere, he returned recently to the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony, KBS Symphony and Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductors with whom he has worked include Gianandrea Noseda, Marin Alsop, Tugan Sokhiev, Vassily Petrenko, Long Yu, Jia Lv, Muhai Tang, Guoyong Zhang, Yang Yang, Xincao Li, Yi Zhang, Daye Lin, Yi Huang and etc.

In China, Ning is held in the highest regard, appearing with all the major Chinese orchestras, in recital and regularly with visiting international orchestras such as Hong Kong Philharmonic, with whom he has toured Asia, Europe and Australia with van Zweden and Budapest Festival Orchestra and Iván Fischer, Berlin Konzerthaus Orchester and Lawrence Foster, and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. In 20/21 he was Artist-in-Residence of Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and in 23/24 he was the Artist-in-Residence of China NCPA where he performed the complete Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin and play-direct NCPA Orchestra to perform Mozart’s 5 Violin Concerti. This season he will perform extensively throughout China as concerto soloist and in solo and chamber recital.

Through his chamber work, Ning Feng has collaborated with many other highly-regarded artists including Xuefei Yang, Daniel Müller-Schott, Nicholas Angelich, Igor Levit, and in trio concerts with Nelson Goerner and Edgar Moreau. He has performed numerous times at festivals such as the Kissinger Sommer Festival, Schubertiade, Schleswig-Holstein Festival, Heidelberg Festival and Ludwigsburg Festival.

Ning Feng records for Channel Classics. His recording of Bach’s complete solo works for violin was hailed by Gramophone as “unlike anyone else’s… it’s the illusion of a freewheeling conversation projected from within”. His discography also includes concerti by Elgar, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Prokofiev, works for violin and orchestra by Bruch, Sarasate, Lalo, Ravel and others, the 24 Paganini Caprices and the complete Brahms Sonatas with Zee Zee. His recording of Brahms and Goldmark Violin Concertos with Konzerthausorchester Berlin and Antony Hermus was released in 2025. Most recently, his recordings of the complete Mozart Violin Concertos, play/directing Kammerakademie Potsdam with his own cadenzas released on a 2-CD album in June 2026.

Born in Chengdu, China, Ning Feng studied at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music with Weimin Hu, the Hanns Eisler School of Music (Berlin) with Antje Weithaas and the Royal Academy of Music (London) with Hu Kun. He was First Prize winner of both the 2005 Michael Hill International Violin Competition (New Zealand) and 2006 International Paganini Competition.

He lives in Berlin and is a Violin Professor at the Hanns Eisler Hochschule and also holds the position of International Chair of Violin at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. In China, he is the Artistic Director of the Chamber Music Academy at Zhejiang Conservatory of Music and Vice-Dean of the Violin Institute at Sichuan Conservatory of Music. Ning Feng will serve as Chair of the Int’l Jury of the 59th International Paganini Competition in 2027, who is the youngest Jury President in the history of the competition and the first from Asia.

Kammerakademie Potsdam

Since it was founded in 2000, the Kammerakademie Potsdam has distinguished itself through captivating concerts, diverse programmes and an unconditional commitment to the highest artistic quality. As the orchestra of the state capital and resident orchestra of the Nikolaisaal Potsdam, it moves through four centuries of music history with passion and irrepressible curiosity.

The orchestra has received the OPUS Klassik Award four times, in 2015, 2022, 2024 and 2025. Its achievements also include award-winning recordings, guest performances at major concert halls in Germany and Europe, concert series for audiences of all ages, and the founding of Brandenburg’s first orchestra academy in 2018.

Antonello Manacorda has been Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Kammerakademie Potsdam since the 2010/11 season. From the 2025/26 season, François Leleux serves as the orchestra’s Artistic Director.

As a cultural ambassador for Potsdam and Brandenburg, the orchestra has performed at major venues including the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Philharmonie Berlin and the Tonhalle Düsseldorf. It has also appeared at leading festivals such as the Kissinger Sommer, the Prague Spring Festival, the Mozartfest Würzburg and the Beethovenfest Bonn.

The independent orchestra consists of approximately 35 musicians. Its diverse programme includes chamber music concerts, the KAPmodern contemporary music series and KAPmeets events, together with collaborations with institutions including Museum Barberini and the Potsdam City and State Library.

The orchestra also offers interactive family concerts, workshops for schools and daycare centres, and other education and outreach projects designed to promote cultural participation and equal access to music.

Kammerakademie Potsdam Members

Alexina Hawkins

Alma Sophie Starke

Bettina Lange

Cecilia Ziano

Christiane Plath

Christoph Knitt

Christoph Starke

Claude Frochaux

Flo Bensch

Isabel Stegner

Jan Böttcher

Jan Peter Kuschel

Julija Bo

Julita Forck

Laura Rajanen

Lore Neubert

Matthias Leupold

Ralph Günthner

Renate Loock

Roman Tulchynsky

Sophia Delling

Sophia Eschenburg

Sulamith Seidenberg

Thomas Kretschmer

Tobias Lampelzammer

Yinjie Xie