The ISO's opening night gala will feature the seven violinists remaining on the jury: Jaime Laredo, Pierre Amoyal, Rodney Friend, Cho-Liang Lin, Malcolm Lowe, Joel Smirnoff, Kyoko Takezawa, with Kelemen as the eighth soloist replacing Oistrakh. Kelemen will perform Vivaldi's Concerto in A Minor for Two Violins with Jaime Laredo, led by ISO Conductor Laureate Raymond Leppard.

The program will also feature Sarasate's Navarra, Danza espagnole for Two Violins with Cho-Liang Lin and Kyoko Takezawa as soloists, and Vivaldi's Concerto in B minor for Four Violins with Joel Smirnoff, Pierre Amoyal, Rodney Friend and Malcolm Lowe as soloists.

Kelemen won the 2002 Indianapolis competition. He also won third prize at the 2001 Queen Elisabeth Competition, first prize at the 1999 Mozart Competition in Salzburg and second prize at the 1997 Szigeti Competition.