Iván Fischer returns to Shanghai with the Budapest Festival Orchestra for a one-night concert on March 31, 2026, at Shanghai Oriental Art Center. Joined by violinist Amira Abouzahra, the program features works by Prokofiev and Mendelssohn, performed by an orchestra named Gramophone’s “Orchestra of the Year.”

This concert brings together conductor Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra, an ensemble he founded and shaped into one of today’s most internationally recognized symphony orchestras. The evening centers on a program by Prokofiev and Mendelssohn, marking the 135th anniversary of Prokofiev’s birth, and pairs large-scale orchestral works with a cornerstone violin concerto.

Performers

Conductor: Iván Fischer

Iván Fischer is a Hungarian conductor, composer, and opera director, and the founder and music director of the Budapest Festival Orchestra. He has worked regularly with orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, where he holds the title of Honorary Guest Conductor. He is also the recipient of numerous international honors and awards.

Violin: Amira Abouzahra

Born in 2005 in Germany, Amira Abouzahra is a young violinist with an Egyptian-Hungarian background. She has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Hungarian National Philharmonic and Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, and has performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Musikverein Vienna, and the Royal Opera House.

Budapest Festival Orchestra

Founded in 1983 by Iván Fischer and pianist Zoltán Kocsis, the Budapest Festival Orchestra is regarded as the youngest ensemble to be named among the world’s top symphony orchestras. The orchestra was awarded Gramophone’s “Orchestra of the Year” in 2022 and regularly performs at major international concert halls.

Event Program

• Prokofiev: The Love for Three Oranges Suite, Op. 33
• Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64
• Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Major, Op. 100

Program is subject to change.

Why people should go see this show

The concert offers a rare chance to hear Iván Fischer lead the orchestra he founded, alongside a rising international violin soloist, in a program combining major 20th-century symphonic works with one of the most performed violin concertos in the repertoire.