I had a marvelous time playing Georg Friedrich Haas’ Violin Concerto No. 2 – which he wrote for me after years of friendship and collaborations – at Grafenegg with the excellent Tonkünstler Orchester and Baldur Brönnimann. From the press release: “Springing from a warm musical friendship, Haas was first inspired by Cuckson’s performance of his work for solo violin, de terrae fine, and in 2015 told her that he wanted to write a concerto for her to play. The resulting work, 32 minutes long, is a fascinating work that highlights Miranda’s skill performing microtonal music, and Haas’s deft touch with an inventive musical language. The concerto is a kind of personal narrative, threaded through by family memories, individual histories, and experiences of social upheaval, and brought to expressive life by Cuckson’s deeply musical virtuosity.’

It is a very meaningful piece for me and my family, and especially meaningful to perform it in Austria. Thank you to everyone at the Grafenegg festival for the enthusiasm and support! It was a huge pleasure to play it again, feeling a great rapport with the musicians. It was recorded for broadcast on Ö1 radio. Though it rained, we did perform at the Wolkenturm amid grey skies and gusty breezes and bird sounds and the audience wearing white plastic ponchos. The second half of the concert (Schumann 4th Symphony) was moved to the indoor hall, due to the weather conditions.