With Bizet’s*Carmen Suite*and Saint-Saëns’Third Violin Concerto, performed by Noa Wildschut, we’ll linger a little longer in the warm, Southern European atmosphere just after summer vacation. Both French composers featured in this opening concert of the new season of *The Sunday Morning Concert* drew inspiration from fiery Spanish passion.

In his opera about Carmen, the fiery Spanish temptress, Bizet strung one passionate scene after another. Carmen’s desire to make her own choices in life and love comes at a high price, as the dutiful soldier Don José and the proud Toreador vie for her love. The Frenchman Bizet knew better than anyone how to set fiery Spanish passion to music. TheSuitefeatures the opera’s most beautiful and well-known melodies.

We are so impressed by the young Dutch star violinist Noa Wildschut that we invited her to perform twice this season at the Sunday Morning Concert. Saint-Saëns’ romantic, beautifully melodicThird Violin Concertois one of Noa’s favorites: “It’s such a special piece; it always makes me so happy. The second movement is so pure—you really have to open your heart to it. That’s a moment to let your mind wander. The third movement, on the other hand, is incredibly spectacular. Yes, I’m really looking forward to it!”