The hallowed stage of the Severance Music Center recently resonated with the profound legacy of Hungarian composers, culminating in a captivating Cleveland Orchestra performance under the baton of visiting conductor Christoph Koncz. This remarkable evening spotlighted the intricate and inventive works of Béla Bartók, Ernő Dohnányi, and Franz Liszt, creating a symphonic performance that underscored the depth and versatility of the ensemble without relying on a traditional guest soloist.

Christoph Koncz, making a highly anticipated Cleveland debut, proved an intuitive and masterful partner on the podium. Despite being early in his conducting career in Europe at just 37, Koncz brings an impressive pedigree as a performer, including a distinguished 15-season tenure as principal second violin of the Vienna Philharmonic, alongside unique experience as a child prodigy in the acclaimed film “The Red Violin.”

The program’s centerpiece, Béla Bartók’s 1943 Concerto for Orchestra, showcased the Hungarian master’s audacious exploration of musical boundaries. Bartók’s genius lay in his synthesis of classicism, modernism, and folk traditions, crafting a piece that ingeniously combines the grand scale of a symphony with the demanding virtuosity of a concerto, thereby defining a distinctly 20th-century genre.

Koncz’s interpretation of Bartók’s intricate score was marked by sensitive collaboration in solo passages and an instinctive command of the full ensemble. His ability to coordinate sudden tempo shifts with precise, rhythmic cues, mirroring an instrumentalist’s breath, highlighted his deep musicality. Only when Bartók’s composition shifted into its most relentless “machine mode,” particularly in the demanding fifth movement Finale, were Koncz’s formidable skills truly pushed to their limits.

Preceding Bartók’s towering work, Ernő Dohnányi’s Symphonic Minutes offered a vibrant and compelling opening. Composed a decade earlier in 1933, Dohnányi’s piece, while more compact, shares a thematic and structural kinship with Bartók’s concerto, unfolding across five evocative movements that similarly provide abundant solo opportunities.

The Cleveland Orchestra, guided by Koncz, delivered a rip-roaring performance of Dohnányi’s work. English hornist Robert Walters, in particular, distinguished himself with an outstanding solo contribution. The suite’s conclusion, a manic, “perpetual motion” finale, further echoed the energetic closing of Bartók’s later masterpiece, creating a fascinating dialogue between the two Hungarian composers.

The concert’s profound connection to Hungarian heritage extended beyond the featured composers—Bartók, Dohnányi, and Liszt were all Hungarian-born virtuosos—to Koncz himself, who is half Hungarian. This thematic thread underscored a long-held understanding among Severance Music Center audiences: that profound musical brilliance can be deeply rooted in both place and enduring tradition.

Ultimately, this Cleveland Orchestra concert transcended a mere showcase of individual talent; it was a cohesive and exhilarating symphonic performance that celebrated the rich legacy of Hungarian composers and the dynamic leadership of Christoph Koncz, leaving a lasting impression on the classical music landscape of the Severance Music Center.