As part of his annual visit to the United States this Summer, Leonidas Kavakos teamed up with Charles Dutoit for a major debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra visiting Saratoga and their own Mann Center. His unique interpretation of the Tchaikovsky violin concerto received extraordinary reviews from critics and public alike (despite the early entry of one of the 1812 Overture cannons during the concerto!). The orchestra immediately re-invited him to play in both their summer and regular subscription concert series, opening the main season with Wolfgang Sawallisch. Kavakos continues to garner plaudits and critical acclaim as his career moves to the highest level. European audiences have recently heard him with the Hamburg Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, Frankfurt Radio and Camerata Academica Salzburg, during the BBC Proms and at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw with the BBC Scottish Symphony. Forthcoming engagements include concerts with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra with Oramo, London Symphony Orchestra with Tilson-Thomas, Philharmonia with Slatkin, an orchestral tour of Spain, re-invitations to Helsinki and Turin as well as a spring tour in Europe with Sir Andrew Davis and the BBC Symphony. He will also revisit the NDR Hamburg for a tour with Claus Peter Flor. His important recital and chamber music work continues with re-invitations to the Festivals of Helsinki and Lucerne, as well as another recital tour of Japan. The unique and distinctive interpretations of this young artist, with his luscious tone founded upon a seamless technique, are a combination of his realistic contemporary outlook on life and an intrinsic belief in the values of the past. Kavakos’ profound knowledge and love of the celebrated violinists is evidently allied to his will to champion the masterworks of new composers. In an attempt to define the essence of Kavakos’ talent, someone recently entitled him a “Modern Virtuoso”. A worthy description of an artist who has come of age – an artist for today.