Get to know Daniel Lozakovich

What are you most looking forward to about performing with the Philharmonia?

This orchestra has worked with some of my favourite conductors and musicians of all time such as Herbert von Karajan and Otto Klemperer. I have a lot of recordings from the Philharmonia and one that I am very close to from childhood is the Grieg Piano Concerto with Dinu Lipatti and Alceo Galliera. The orchestra has a tradition of great beauty and soul with the greatest musicians of the past and present. I really look forward to the precision and depth of sound that comes from this orchestra.

Have you worked with Tugan Sokhiev before?

I worked with Tugan Sokhiev in Toulouse a couple of years ago, playing Bruch. He is one of my favourite musicians as he has a great musical and conducting style. That performance is close to my heart and I can’t wait to perform the great Russian composer Prokofiev with him.

What is your favourite thing about Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2 – is there a particularly interesting or exciting part to look out for?

Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2 is one of the most exciting concertos ever written. It starts with a Russian folk melody with unique harmonies and orchestration. There are fairytale qualities and similarities to Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet suite and his opera The Love for Three Oranges. The second movement is one of the most beautiful, magical movements in music – its really a love story. The first movement was written in Paris and the second was written and premiered in Spain and you can really hear the atmosphere of these locations. Prokofiev was inspired by Spanish traditional dance and it’s a tricky movement to pull off, giving an extreme sense of ecstasy, pleasure and joy. Anyone who listens to the second movement and doesn’t know anything about classical music will fall in love. Its written from the heart and it represents a unique perspective on love and beauty.

What are you listening to right now?

Every day I’m listening to something new, I just love to listen to music that touches me. As I was just playing Shostakovich, I am currently listening to his symphonies, particularly the Thirteenth which is one of the most powerfully written pieces – quite different from Prokofiev.

Do you have a must-have item to bring along when travelling for work?

I don’t consider my profession work, I consider it a blessing to do what I love – its more of a way of life. My most important item, except for the violin and the suits, is a speaker. I try always to bring a speaker to loudly play the music I love in the morning and evening.

Which other concert coming up in the Philharmonia’s London season would you most like to come to, and why?

If I had to choose one it would be my absolute favourite piece, one of the most sacred works in history, one of the greatest achievements of the human spirit – Verdi’s Requiem. And of course, with Riccardo Muti, one of the greatest conductors.

Daniel Lozakovich joins us at the Royal Festival Hall on Thursday 20 February, playing Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2.