The Festivalcampus ensemble came together in a central project to develop a programme under the guidance of an inspiring artistic figure: Dmitry Smirnov – the violinist born in St. Petersburg in 1994 – who joined his only slightly younger colleagues as a true primus inter pares.

Heidelberger Frühling praised Smirnov, who had worked intensively with interpretation legends such as Heinz Holliger, as someone who “brings everything one could hope for: communicative openness, musical temperament, virtuoso technique, and an exceptional stylistic awareness shaped by his experience in historically informed performance.”

This special programme also marked Smirnov’s debut at Heidelberger Frühling, showcasing not only his artistic versatility but also his ease in connecting with a younger generation of musicians. The programme featured works by Joseph Haydn and Steve Reich (arrangement by Dmitry inspired by Radiohead), culminating in George Enescu's passionate string octet. For this concert, Dmitry played his violin (Haydn, Smith), his viola (Enescu), and the piano (Reich).