Description

Valentin Radutiu, cello

Minhye Choi, piano

Fredericksburg Music Festival & School 2026

June 14, 2026 • 7:00 PM

St. Joseph’s Hall

The Fredericksburg Music Festival & School is honored to present internationally acclaimed cellist Valentin Radutiu alongside pianist Minhye Choi for an evening of towering Romanticism and virtuosic twentieth-century masterworks.

Celebrated for his “glowing, distinctive and exciting masculine tone” and described by the Süddeutsche Zeitung as “one of the great cello talents of our time,” Valentin Radutiu has established himself as one of Europe’s leading cellists through performances with many of the world’s major orchestras and appearances in renowned concert halls across Europe and Asia.

Currently Principal Cellist of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and newly appointed Professor of Cello at the Rice University Shepherd School of Music, Radutiu brings to Fredericksburg a rare combination of commanding virtuosity, intellectual depth, and deeply expressive artistry.

Joined by pianist Minhye Choi, this recital explores the expansive emotional world of the cello sonata repertoire — from the radiant lyricism and symphonic breadth of Johannes Brahms to the fiery energy of Dmitry Kabalevsky and the colorful brilliance of Bohuslav Martinů.

Presented in the intimate setting of historic St. Joseph’s Hall in Fredericksburg, Texas, this concert offers audiences the opportunity to experience world-class chamber music at extraordinary proximity in the heart of the Texas Hill Country.

Program

• Brahms — Sonata No. 2 in F Major, Op. 99
• Kabalevsky — Sonata in B-flat Major, Op. 71
• Martinů — Variations on a Theme of Rossini

Valentin Radutiu has appeared as soloist with orchestras including the Czech Philharmonic, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, and Hong Kong Sinfonietta, and has performed at venues including the Berlin Philharmonie, Konzerthaus Berlin, and the Palais des Beaux-Arts.

He performs on a rare 1686 cello by Francesco Ruggieri of Cremona.

Venue

St. Joseph’s Hall

Festival Dates

June 7–21, 2026

Presented by

Fredericksburg Music Festival & School/  Texas Cellos