Vienna Philharmonic replaces Barenboim with a concertmaster

Daniel Barenboim, still struggling with health issues, has cancelled this weekend’s concerts at the Musikverein at 24 hours’ notice.

Kirill Gerstein will replace him as soloist in a Mozart piano concerto.

But in a striking change of policy, the orchestra has called upon one of its concertmasters, Volkhard Steude, to conduct the concerts from his seat.

Steude, 50 and originally from east Germany, has been concertmaster since 1994.

The programme is all-Mozart: Symphony in G minor, KV 183; Concerto for piano and orchestra in G major, KV 453; Symphony in D major, KV 504.

Here’s the announcement:
Due to illness, Maestro Daniel Barenboim will cancel the concerts in the Vienna Musikverein. This affects the Concert of the Society of Friends of Music in Vienna on Friday, March 18th at 07:30 pm, and also the subscription concerts on Saturday, March 19th at 03:30 pm and on sunday, March 20th at 11:00 am.

Concertmaster Volkhard Steude thankfully agreed to serve as artistic director of these concerts from the podium of the first violin.

Kirill Gerstein will perform the piano concert in G major, KV 453, as soloist.