Camille Saint-Saëns epitomizes French music of the 19th century. Versatile and prolific, he contributed voluminously to every genre of French musical literature and influenced musical life in France as composer, teacher, pianist, organist, conductor, critic, chronicler, poet, and playwright. Saint- Saëns qualified as the most “complete” musician of his time according to his devoted friend and student Gabriel Fauré. His creative work, of astonishing range, provides a rich source of aesthetic and historical interest, crucial for an understanding of the music and culture of this era. He was so honored and acclaimed both at home and abroad that he became a legend during his lifetime. The concerto provided Saint-Saëns the opportunity to display technical virtuosity as well as to express musical ideas. He explained: “It is virtuosity itself I mean to defend. It is the source of color in music. It gives wings to the artist to help him escape from the prosaic and commonplace.

Andrew Wan is equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician, and concertmaster. In 2008, he was named concertmaster of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, making him one of the youngest leaders of a major symphony. His relationship with the OSM began with performances of Elgar’s Violin Concerto, which were hailed as one of the top two musical moments of 2007 by La Presse.