Concerts with works by

Dmitri Shostakovich

Rising Stars: Quatuor Agate

For lovers of chamber music the Recital Hall is the venue of choice. You can hear the musicians breathe and you can practically touch them. This hall is also cherished by musicians for its beautiful acoustics and direct contact with the audience. In the Recital Hall you can hear the best musicians of our time. Buy your tickets now and experience the magic of the Recital Hall for yourself!

NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra / James Gaffigan

In his mid-forties, James Gaffigan is already music director of two major opera houses: the Komische Oper in Berlin and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia. For his debut with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, the American conductor has chosen dramatic incidental music for the programme. Gaffigan opens the concert with the beginning of Modest Mussorgsky’s opera »Khovanshchina«. It is a gloomy portrait of the mores of Tsarist Russia, but the composer gave the introduction the idyllic title »Dawn on the Moskva«: soaring string sounds merge into gentle flute tones, which are gradually joined by other wind instruments.

Quatuor Agate

At the Rising Stars Festival, the Elbphilharmonie Recital Hall again becomes the stage for the most exciting musicians of the young generation in January 2025. Amongst these stars of tomorrow is the Quatuor Agate, as the only ensemble. The string quartet formed in Berlin in 2016 and the musicians’ joint career long since assumed an international format. The Guardian enthuses about the Brahms debut album by the four Frenchmen: »Warm, wonderfully refined sound, impeccable intonation and punctilious attention to detail.« Under the heading »Outlaws«, the Quatuor Agate presents a well-thought out concept programme in Hamburg with String Quartet No. 8 by Dmitri Shostakovich at its heart. Under the impact of the tyranny of his Russian homeland, Shostakovich created a piece of bloodcurdling intensity in 1960 that he saw as his own musical obituary. Adrien Jurkovic, Thomas Descamps, Raphaël Pagnon and Simon Iachemet surround this confessional music with a broad-based programme combination which ranges from the Renaissance to the present day. Projections accompany the programme and shine a light on the life of the composers. With singing, the musicians rise far above their usual role as instrumentalists in the commissioned composition by Anna Korsun.

Mandelring Quartett / Roland Glassl

Mandelring Quartet

Elbphilharmonie Audience Orchestra

In the Audience Orchestra, dedicated amateurs rehearse with great enthusiasm and at a very high artistic level under conductor Michael Petermann, the director of the Hamburger Konservatorium. Each year the orchestra gives two performances in the Grand Hall and further concerts in Hamburg districts, in which they play the pieces they’ve been practicing so intensively.

NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra / James Gaffigan

In his mid-forties, James Gaffigan is already music director of two major opera houses: the Komische Oper in Berlin and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia. For his debut with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, the American conductor has chosen dramatic incidental music for the programme. Gaffigan opens the concert with the beginning of Modest Mussorgsky’s opera »Khovanshchina«. It is a gloomy portrait of the mores of Tsarist Russia, but the composer gave the introduction the idyllic title »Dawn on the Moskva«: soaring string sounds merge into gentle flute tones, which are gradually joined by other wind instruments.

Une soirée avec Chostakovitch

From the sarcastic music of The Nose, to his limpid final symphony featuring quotes from Rossini and Wagner, to his striking orchestration of Schumann’s Cello Concerto—a tribute to the multiple facets of Shostakovich.

Shostakovich Quartets: Intimate Portraits, Part 1

Marking 50 years since the composer’s death, the Carduccis inaugurate a five-concert odyssey through the complete string quartets – works that enshrine his inner life, loves and closest friendships.

Symphoniker Hamburg / Boris Giltburg / Han-Na Chang

Mozart premiered his first minor-key piano concerto in Vienna on February 11, 1785. This concerto in D minor marks a departure from his usual pleasing style. Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony's scherzo reflects Stalin's terrifying image, while the Allegretto and finale assert the composer's presence through his musical initials (D-Es-C-H).

Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Joana Mallwitz

Sofia Gubaidulina's ‘Fairytale Poem’ from 1971, with which the Konzerthausorchester and Joana Mallwitz begin their concert, is, according to the composer, about a little piece of chalk with big dreams of marvellous things that it wants to draw. Unfortunately, it is only used as blackboard chalk at school and is eventually thrown away. A boy finds it and begins to draw castles, gardens and sunsets on the street. The chalk is too happy to realize that it is finally disintegrating. Shostakovich's first cello concerto from 1959 shows how the composer was finally able to utilise a wealth of long frowned upon modernist techniques after the death of Stalin. The cellist of the century and dedicatee Mstislav ‘Slava’ Rostropovich became the great midwife. With us, artist in residence Sheku Kanneh-Mason takes on the solo part.Tchaikovsky dedicated the Fourth Symphony, premiered in 1878, to his confidante and patron Nadezhda von Meck. They never met, but exchanged 1200 letters. He wrote to her about the last movement of the Fourth: ‘If you don't have enough reason to find happiness in yourself, mingle with people, see what a good time they are having, how they abandon themselves completely to joyful feelings!’ One can only add to that: Welcome to the Konzerthaus, mingle with our audience!

Hrůša conducts Beethoven and Shostakovich

The Year 1905: Shostakovich’s monumental symphony meets Beethoven at his brightest. Unchained energy from conductor Jakub Hrůša, pianist Jonathan Biss and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Joana Mallwitz

Sofia Gubaidulina's ‘Fairytale Poem’ from 1971, with which the Konzerthausorchester and Joana Mallwitz begin their concert, is, according to the composer, about a little piece of chalk with big dreams of marvellous things that it wants to draw. Unfortunately, it is only used as blackboard chalk at school and is eventually thrown away. A boy finds it and begins to draw castles, gardens and sunsets on the street. The chalk is too happy to realize that it is finally disintegrating. Shostakovich's first cello concerto from 1959 shows how the composer was finally able to utilise a wealth of long frowned upon modernist techniques after the death of Stalin. The cellist of the century and dedicatee Mstislav ‘Slava’ Rostropovich became the great midwife. With us, artist in residence Sheku Kanneh-Mason takes on the solo part.Tchaikovsky dedicated the Fourth Symphony, premiered in 1878, to his confidante and patron Nadezhda von Meck. They never met, but exchanged 1200 letters. He wrote to her about the last movement of the Fourth: ‘If you don't have enough reason to find happiness in yourself, mingle with people, see what a good time they are having, how they abandon themselves completely to joyful feelings!’ One can only add to that: Welcome to the Konzerthaus, mingle with our audience!

Daniel Lozakovich plays Shostakovich’ Violin Concerto

The Netherlands Philharmonic is one of the most versatile cultural organisations in The Netherlands. The orchestra organises a diverse concert program in The Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam and is a welcome guest on foreign stages and festivals. The Netherlands Philharmonic brings classical music to life at the highest level and collaborates closely with international guest soloists and conductors. It takes great pleasure in welcoming and developing new musical talent. Lorenzo Viotti is the principal conductor of Dutch National Opera and the Netherlands Philharmonic.

Daniel Lozakovich plays Shostakovich’ Violin Concerto

The Netherlands Philharmonic is one of the most versatile cultural organisations in The Netherlands. The orchestra organises a diverse concert program in The Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam and is a welcome guest on foreign stages and festivals. The Netherlands Philharmonic brings classical music to life at the highest level and collaborates closely with international guest soloists and conductors. It takes great pleasure in welcoming and developing new musical talent. Lorenzo Viotti is the principal conductor of Dutch National Opera and the Netherlands Philharmonic.

Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Joana Mallwitz

Sofia Gubaidulina's ‘Fairytale Poem’ from 1971, with which the Konzerthausorchester and Joana Mallwitz begin their concert, is, according to the composer, about a little piece of chalk with big dreams of marvellous things that it wants to draw. Unfortunately, it is only used as blackboard chalk at school and is eventually thrown away. A boy finds it and begins to draw castles, gardens and sunsets on the street. The chalk is too happy to realize that it is finally disintegrating. Shostakovich's first cello concerto from 1959 shows how the composer was finally able to utilise a wealth of long frowned upon modernist techniques after the death of Stalin. The cellist of the century and dedicatee Mstislav ‘Slava’ Rostropovich became the great midwife. With us, artist in residence Sheku Kanneh-Mason takes on the solo part.Tchaikovsky dedicated the Fourth Symphony, premiered in 1878, to his confidante and patron Nadezhda von Meck. They never met, but exchanged 1200 letters. He wrote to her about the last movement of the Fourth: ‘If you don't have enough reason to find happiness in yourself, mingle with people, see what a good time they are having, how they abandon themselves completely to joyful feelings!’ One can only add to that: Welcome to the Konzerthaus, mingle with our audience!

Sheku Kanneh-Mason / Camerata Salzburg

»It could only be Shostakovich!« commented the BBC presenter when Sheku Kanneh-Mason entered the final of the »BBC Young Musician« in 2016 with Shostakovich’s First Cello Concerto. Naturally, he emerged as the winner of the competition, in which he performed a different work by Shostakovich from round to round. His power composer! And there is no doubt that the now 25-year-old musician is one of the greatest talents on the cello. In ProArte’s »International Soloists« series, Kanneh-Mason juxtaposes the cello concerto dedicated to Rostropovich from 1959 with Ravel’s Hebrew melody Kaddish – an elegiac song that unfolds a particularly intense power in the version for cello and strings. And to mark the Ravel Year 2025, the Camerata Salzburg also contributes »Le tombeau de Couperin«, his very personal and highly artistic exploration of French Baroque music.

Classical Hour Klaus Mäkelä Dmitri Shostakovich

In 1955, Dmitri Shostakovich planned to write a symphony for the 50th anniversary of the Russian Revolution of 1905. Symphony No. 11 was not ready until the 40th anniversary of the 1917 Russian Revolution in 1957, but the symphony was still named “The Year 1905”.On the surface, the symphony is in line with the authorities’ view. Still, Shostakovich’s use of freedom songs from the prison gave many associations to current events: the composer is said to have suggested that the music was a response to the Soviet Union’s brutal invasion of Hungary in 1956.The symphony opens with the eerie atmosphere in front of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg on the eve of the revolution. The second movement describes the brutal massacre on “the bloody Sunday”. The third movement is based on a revolutionary mournful march, while the powerful final movement ambiguously celebrates the revolution’s future triumph.

Klaus Mäkelä Pyotr Tchaikovsky Dmitri Shostakovich

“I composed the Serenade from a natural impulse, something deep from within, and therefore I dare to believe that it is not free from containing something truly valuable,” Pyotr Tchaikovsky wrote to his supporter Nadezhda von Mack during the work with Serenade for Strings in the fall of 1880. When the piece was finished some weeks later, he wrote: “I just love this serenade so terribly, and long for it to see the light of day as soon as possible.” The wish came true - during a visit to Moscow, an orchestra surprised him by playing it at a private concert.The first movement is a tribute to Mozart, according to Tchaikovsky an imitation of his style. The second movement is a waltz reminiscent of the composer’s famous waltzes from The Nutcracker and The Swan Lake. After an elegiac third movement, he uses Russian folk tunes in the finale, “Tema russo.”In 1955, Dmitri Shostakovich planned to write a symphony for the 50th anniversary of the Russian Revolution of 1905. Symphony No. 11 was not ready until the 40th anniversary of the 1917 Russian Revolution in 1957, but the symphony was still named “The Year 1905”.On the surface, the symphony is in line with the authorities’ view. Still, Shostakovich’s use of freedom songs from the prison gave many associations to current events: the composer is said to have suggested that the music was a response to the Soviet Union’s brutal invasion of Hungary in 1956.The symphony opens with the eerie atmosphere in front of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg on the eve of the revolution. The second movement describes the brutal massacre on “the bloody Sunday”. The third movement is based on a revolutionary mournful march, while the powerful final movement ambiguously celebrates the revolution’s future triumph.

Jerusalem Quartet Schostakowitsch Streichquartette

In 2025, the 50th anniversary of Dmitri Shostakovich's death, his music is remembered as an emotional shield against the Soviet regime. This concert contrasts his first string quartet's dreamlike world with the existential density of his ninth, framing a Dvorák masterpiece. The Jerusalem Quartet, praised for their passion, precision, and warmth, performs these works.

Patricia Kopatchinskaja spielt Schostakowitsch, Ligeti und Hartmann

Anna Vinnitskaya Schostakowitsch 2. Klavierkonzert

The Essen Philharmonic commemorates Dmitri Shostakovich's 50th death anniversary with four evenings this season. His works, often reflecting the somber Soviet reality, possess profound beauty. His second piano concerto, however, stands out as cheerful, brilliant, blissful, and spirited. Pianist Anna Vinnitskaya considers its second movement among the most beautiful music she knows. Equally stunning is Sergei Prokofiev's fifth symphony, composed in 1944, a "song to free and happy people." Elim Chan conducts the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, who, along with Vinnitskaya, prepare chamber music surprises. The concert has no intermission and includes a "Close-up" at 5:45 PM and a "Late Night" at 9 PM. A child-friendly introduction is also offered.

Echo Rising Stars with viola

The French-Dutch violist Sào Soulez Larivière is trained at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin, where he now resides. He has received numerous awards for his brilliant playing and is also praised for his exciting programs. Since 2023, Sào Soulez Larivière has been teaching at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.Together with pianist Annika Treutler, Sào Soulez Larivière released his first album, Impressions, in 2021. Now they begin the concert with Robert Schumann's enchanting Märchenbilder (Fairy Tales) for viola and piano and conclude with Shostakovich's Sonata for Viola and Piano, his very last composition. In between, a newly written piece by American composer Julia Wolfe, who was once involved in founding the almost cult-favorite music collective Bang on a Can.Rising Stars is a unique and forward-looking collaboration between 24 of Europe’s leading concert halls, all members of the European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO). A handful of young musicians and ensembles from various countries are selected each year and given the opportunity to tour the concert halls and perform before international audiences. Experience shows that those who are selected as Rising Stars also have internationally successful careers.

Roman Borisov Kammerakademie Potsdam Schostakowitsch Doppelkonzert

Roman Borisov, the pianist who debuted at the Essen Philharmonic, returns as both soloist and conductor. He will perform Shostakovich's concerto for piano, trumpet, and orchestra, framed by Mozart's dances and piano rondo. The concert concludes with Schubert's fifth symphony, inspired by Mozart's music.

Anna Vinnitskaya | MCO Academy | Mahler Chamber Orchestra | Elim Chan

Shostakovich and Prokofiev were repeatedly targeted by Soviet art critics. Prokofiev appeased them with his heroic Fifth Symphony, while Shostakovich did so with his highly virtuosic 2nd Piano Concerto, brilliantly performed by Russian pianist Anna Vinnitskaya. Vinnitskaya, who won the ECHO Klassik award in 2014 for her recording of the concerto, is now accompanied by the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Elim Chan. Prokofiev's 5th Symphony, written in 1944 during the Soviet victory over Nazi troops, also displays combative traits.

Commemorating Shostakovich: Evgeny Kissin and friends

A glittering constellation of string players joins Evgeny Kissin for an immersive dive into three sonatas that together span Shostakovich’s creative evolution – the last a soul-searing farewell.

SWR Symphonieorchester | Abokonzert 5

Werke von Schostakowitsch, Ligeti und Hartmann. Mit Patricia Kopatchinskaja (Violine) und dem SWR Symphonieorchester unter der Leitung von Ingo Metzmacher.Programm:Dmitrij Schostakowitsch | Violinkonzert Nr. 1 a-Moll op. 77György Ligeti | "Mysteries of the Macabre" & "Lontano"Karl Amadeus Hartmann | Sinfonie Nr. 3Mitwirkende:Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Violine SWR Symphonieorchester Ingo Metzmacher, DirigentKonzerteinführung | 19:00 Uhr

Ingo Metzmacher dirigiert Werke von Schostakowitsch, Ligeti und Hartmann

Guest performance

Guest performance