The return of Patricia Kopatchinskaja to the United States this March is marked by two much anticipated projects that underscore the violinist’s uncompromising artistic voice.

On 26 March, she brings her signature project Dies Irae to Princeton University Concerts, presented in the iconic Princeton University Chapel. Part concert, part installation, Dies Irae is Kopatchinskaja’s deeply personal response to the threat of global collapse. Drawing on the medieval Gregorian chant as a symbol of judgment and fear, the work unfolds as a haunting reflection on climate crisis, war and displacement. Spanning centuries, the programme weaves together music by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, George Crumb, Galina Ustvolskaya, Giacinto Scelsi, John Dowland, Antonio Lotti and Jimi Hendrix into a visceral soundscape. From Biber’s Battalia to Crumb’s searing anti-war Black Angels, the evening culminates in Ustvolskaya’s Dies Irae, with Kopatchinskaja herself joining on percussion. The project, previously seen at major festivals worldwide, stands as a bold and unflinching meditation on humanity’s trajectory.

Just days earlier, Kopatchinskaja makes her long-awaited debut with The Cleveland Orchestra under the direction of Elim Chan with concerts from 19 — 21 March. She performs Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 1, a work as intimate as it is intense. Originally conceived in 1908 as a musical declaration of love to violinist Stefi Geyer, the concerto remained unheard for decades after its rejection, only receiving its premiere in 1958. Today, it stands as a revealing early testament to Bartók’s voice, balancing late-Romantic lyricism with the seeds of his later, distinctive style.

These appearances highlight Kopatchinskaja’s rare ability to connect music across time with urgent contemporary themes and reaffirm her position as one of the most compelling and thought-provoking artists on today’s stage.