Elbphilharmonie Sessions: Ana Vidovic – Vol. II

When it comes to classical guitar, Ana Vidovic is never far from the limelight. She is one of the most successful guitarists around. Born in Croatia, she has been performing on major concert stages around the world for several years now and her YouTube videos enjoy millions of views.

Ana Vidovic’s repertoire covers a broad range of styles, from baroque to Spanish flamenco and right through to arrangements of pop evergreens. After a beautiful Bach movement featured in the first part of her »Elbphilharmonie Session«, in this second part she plays »Yesterday« by the Beatles, in an arrangement for guitar composed by Tōru Takemitsu.

Influenced by Spanish tradition and at home all over the world: the classical guitar, presented by four young stars of the instrument which is more versatile than almost any other.

Born in a small town near Zagreb in Croatia, Ana Vidovic discovered her love of the guitar at the age of five. By the age of 11 she was already performing internationally and at aged 13 she was accepted to study at the Academy of Music in Zagreb. She is now regarded as »one of today’s brightest classical stars of the six strings,« as the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper wrote.

Guest performances have taken Ana Vidovic all over the world, from Paris and San Francisco to Sydney and Hong Kong. The guitarist captivates her audiences not only with her versatile solo recitals but also performing as a soloist with renowned orchestras.

The release of »Yesterday« in 1965 saw The Beatles land one of the greatest pop hits in music history. The melody of the melancholy ballad is universally known to this day, and features in a host of cover versions. The Japanese composer Tōru Takemitsu, who has published a highly popular collection of pop arrangements for guitar, has managed to transcribe the accompaniment and vocals into a melodically complex and dense guitar sound in this moving arrangement of »Yesterday«. It is technically demanding and undoubtedly beautiful. »A guitar can sing«, says Ana Vidovic, and she has the skills to back this up.

The Circle Lounge is located on the 13th floor of the Elbphilharmonie, on the northern side. The spacious sponsors’ lounge stretches over two levels, and has a large bar area with standing tables as well as a lounge area with a variety of seating options. The enormous window facade offers breath-taking views of Hamburg city centre, and an exclusive balcony in the bar area rounds off the experience.

Production:

Jan Stahlmann  Recording & Mixing
Julian Conrad / Pauline Schüler  Camera & Edit

Julika von Werder Production Management