“I’m about to step onto the podium once again in front of the Matthäus Passion, and once again, I’m faced with this work not armed with the faith that guided its composer, but with the need to convey to the audience its symbolic message, which is also profoundly moving.” With these words, Enrico Onofri introduces his return to Bach’s St. Matthew Passion which will see him conduct the Orchestre National Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, of which he is associate conductor, on 6th and 9th April.

© Florian Ganslmeier

The first concert will take place at the Opéra-Théâtre de Clermont-Ferrand and the second at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, a venue the Maestro knows well as a violinist, but where he will set foot for the first time as a conductor.
“My previous experiences have shown me that the only way to approach this work is by following the thread of a narrative that doesn’t rely on real actors, striking a balance between theatrical participation and sacred distance,” – Onofri continues. “In other words, it’s about expressing the bewilderment we feel in the face of the Passion, allowing ourselves to be absorbed by the symbol, yet experiencing it in a way that feels real and tangible. A journey in which I will be joined, also at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, by my friends and the incredible musicians of the Orchestre National d’Auvergne along with a brilliant cast and the NFM Wroclaw Choir.”