Concerts with works by

Edvard Grieg

Grieg’s Piano Concerto

Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto is a classic among classics, constantly featured on concert programmes worldwide, and probably available in hundreds of recordings. Grieg was 25 when he composed the music, and the fact that it was his first work with an orchestra is astonishing. Taking on his compatriot's superhit is none other than Leif Ove Andsnes, one of the world's leading pianists.The concert opens with the exciting premiere of Rocking Bodies by Chrichan Larson. Rocking Bodies plays with the idea of resonant bodies moving in waves around a centre – sometimes repelled, sometimes drawn in. Larson is active as a composer and cellist, a prominent musician who has often been seen in the cello section of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.Concluding the concert, Chief Conductor Ryan Bancroft leads the orchestra in Wilhelm Stenhammar's exquisite Serenade. Stenhammar got the idea for the music during a stay in Florence in 1907. In one of his letters, he wrote: ”I want to compose as beautifully and tenderly about the South as only a Nordic person can.” He succeeded, for the Serenade is a masterpiece.Read more about chief conductor Ryan Bancroft

Noa Wildschut plays Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto

The Sunday Morning Concert brings you wonderful and much-loved compositions, performed by top musicians from the Netherlands and abroad. Enjoy the most beautiful music in the morning! You can make your Sunday complete by enjoying a delicious post-concert lunch in restaurant LIER.The Royal Concertgebouw is one of the best concert halls in the world, famous for its exceptional acoustics and varied programme. Attend a concert and have an experience you will never forget. Come and enjoy inspiring music in the beautiful surroundings of the Main Hall or the intimate Recital Hall.

Leif Ove Andsnes

The 24 preludes completed by Chopin during the notorious winter he spent on Mallorca with his lover George Sand, are some of the most demanding pieces a pianist can tackle. The range is enormous, from small and short simple pieces to brutal outbursts and virtuosic explosions. The famous Raindrop Prelude No. 15 is said to be inspired by the perpetual raining on the island.Norwegian Leif Ove Andsnes, one of the world's most acclaimed pianists, begins his recital with his compatriot Edvard Grieg's piano sonata, written three years before the famous piano concerto. And there are similarities: romantically flowing melodies and glimpses of Norwegian folk music. Grieg has also, like Bach and Shostakovich, embedded himself in the music: the first three notes are e, h, g – the initials of his name Edvard Hagerup Grieg.Between Grieg and Chopin, Andsnes performs music by another compatriot, Geirr Tveitt (1908–81). He was a concert pianist himself, and his both powerful and sometimes meditative music is often inspired by folk music from Hardanger Valley.

Guest performance

Nuits du Piano Paris – Plamena Mangova

Simply Quartet: Rebecca meets Wynton

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!

Symphonic Concert

Kirill Karabits, photo: Mark Allan ‘Essentially it is a work for two orchestras – one live, one dead’ is how American composer and DJ Mason Bates, who wrote an opera about Steve Jobs, describes in a nutshell his composition Auditorium, first performed in San Francisco in 2016. The concept is linked to the composer’s newfound passion for Baroque instrumental music. It represents a kind of conversation between an orchestra playing live and an ensemble of early instruments 'captured’ on a remixed tape. Edvard Grieg subjected his only completed Piano Concerto to a more traditional ‘remix’ several times. One of the great Romantic concertos, it was premiered in 1869, but the composer put the finishing touches to it in the early twentieth century, a few weeks before his death. Here the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra will be accompanied by eminent Italian pianist Federico Colli, winner of the Salzburg and Leeds competitions. In addition to references to instrumental music of the Italian Baroque in Bates’s piece and to Norwegian folklore in Grieg’s composition, our programme will also include subtle allusions to traditional American jazz. These can be found in John Adams’s colourful symphonic fresco City Noir, in which the composer alludes to the cinematic, dreamlike aura of the city of Los Angeles in the post-war years.

An Alpine Symphony

Waterfalls, glaciers, an ear-splitting storm – spectacular isn’t the word for Strauss’s Alpine Symphony. No composer tells a story quite like Richard Strauss – or paints a picture in more fabulous sounds. So when he set out to depict the majesty of the Bavarian Alps, the results are … well, hear for yourself as Edward Gardner and a specially-enlarged LPO conquer the summit of Strauss’s mighty Alpine Symphony. Waterfalls, glaciers, an ear-splitting storm – spectacular isn’t the word. But first, enjoy the fresh Nordic melodies of Grieg’s famous Piano Concerto, played by a true rising star, and hear Pasajes by LPO Composer-in-Residence Tania León, which evokes memories of her youth, blending Latin American melodies, Caribbean rhythms and vibrant Carnaval dances.

Symphonic Concert

Kirill Karabits, photo: Mark Allan ‘Essentially it is a work for two orchestras – one live, one dead’ is how American composer and DJ Mason Bates, who wrote an opera about Steve Jobs, describes in a nutshell his composition Auditorium, first performed in San Francisco in 2016. The concept is linked to the composer’s newfound passion for Baroque instrumental music. It represents a kind of conversation between an orchestra playing live and an ensemble of early instruments 'captured’ on a remixed tape. Edvard Grieg subjected his only completed Piano Concerto to a more traditional ‘remix’ several times. One of the great Romantic concertos, it was premiered in 1869, but the composer put the finishing touches to it in the early twentieth century, a few weeks before his death. Here the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra will be accompanied by eminent Italian pianist Federico Colli, winner of the Salzburg and Leeds competitions. In addition to references to instrumental music of the Italian Baroque in Bates’s piece and to Norwegian folklore in Grieg’s composition, our programme will also include subtle allusions to traditional American jazz. These can be found in John Adams’s colourful symphonic fresco City Noir, in which the composer alludes to the cinematic, dreamlike aura of the city of Los Angeles in the post-war years.

Duo Kravos

Biennale »Paradise lost?« Debussy’s “La Mer” and Grieg’s Piano Concerto

Sky, sea and light permeate this concert, in which Finnish conductor Dalia Stasevska makes her debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker. Jean Sibelius transports us to the historical Finland of legend with his dramatic tone poem Pohjola’s Daughter, while Kaija Saariaho’s Orion describes the astrological constellation in numinous music. The concert will also include Edvard Grieg’s piano concerto, which its echoes of Norwegian folk music, and Claude Debussy’s shimmering tone poem La Mer. The soloist is pianist Jean-Fréderic Neuburger.

Biennale »Paradise lost?« Debussy’s “La Mer” and Grieg’s Piano Concerto

Sky, sea and light permeate this concert, in which Finnish conductor Dalia Stasevska makes her debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker. Jean Sibelius transports us to the historical Finland of legend with his dramatic tone poem Pohjola’s Daughter, while Kaija Saariaho’s Orion describes the astrological constellation in numinous music. The concert will also include Edvard Grieg’s piano concerto, which its echoes of Norwegian folk music, and Claude Debussy’s shimmering tone poem La Mer. The soloist is pianist Jean-Fréderic Neuburger.

Biennale »Paradise lost?« Debussy’s “La Mer” and Grieg’s Piano Concerto

Sky, sea and light permeate this concert, in which Finnish conductor Dalia Stasevska makes her debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker. Jean Sibelius transports us to the historical Finland of legend with his dramatic tone poem Pohjola’s Daughter, while Kaija Saariaho’s Orion describes the astrological constellation in numinous music. The concert will also include Edvard Grieg’s piano concerto, which its echoes of Norwegian folk music, and Claude Debussy’s shimmering tone poem La Mer. The soloist is pianist Jean-Fréderic Neuburger.

Kindertag: FamilienKonzert mit dem Konzerthausorchester

Music is like time, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. Its tempo can be steady like a heartbeat or expansive like the universe. In this concert, we journey through the vastness of space, across seasons and time, until we arrive in the present moment.

Früh­lings­sum­men Kinderkonzert 4

To celebrate the beginning of spring, join James Gaffigan, Robin Poell, and the Komische Oper Berlin orchestra on a musical journey through nature's awakening. Listen to the buzzing of bees, sing along, and immerse yourselves in the sounds of spring.

Finale des Bach-Wettbewerbs Leipzig 2025

Karen Su and Ruben Plazier: Franck and Grieg

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!

Marquee TV: An Alpine Symphony

Waterfalls, glaciers, an ear-splitting storm – spectacular isn’t the word for Strauss’s Alpine Symphony.No composer tells a story quite like Richard Strauss – or paints a picture in more fabulous sounds. So when he set out to depict the majesty of the Bavarian Alps, the results are … well, hear for yourself as Edward Gardner and a specially-enlarged LPO conquer the summit of Strauss’s mighty Alpine Symphony. Waterfalls, glaciers, an ear-splitting storm – spectacular isn’t the word. But first, enjoy the fresh Nordic melodies of Grieg’s famous Piano Concerto, played by a true rising star.

Simply Quartet

Internationalität ist Trumpf: Gegründet in China, ausgebildet unter anderem in Madrid, beheimatet in Wien – kein Wunder, dass das Simply Quartet immer große Ziele verfolgt. Als ehemalige »ECHO Rising Stars« kehrt das Ensemble nun nach Köln zurück.Die Mitglieder des Simply Quartet sind stets auf der Suche und möchten das Verständnis für Musik immer wieder neu vertiefen, ob bei klassischen oder bei modernen Werken. Dient »Simply« dabei als Beschreibung ihres gemeinsamen Weges? Mitnichten: »In Schanghai gab es nahe des Konservatoriums ein Restaurant namens ‚Simply Thai‘. Das hat uns allen gefallen.« Das Simply Quartet schöpft aus Einflüssen, die das Miteinander bis heute prägen. Dazu zählt neben China und Österreich auch Norwegen, das Heimatland des Cellisten.

Festakt anlässlich der Eröffnung der Leipziger Buchmesse 2025 mit

Simply Quartet

Simply Quartet

Orchestre Lamoureux – DANS LE STYLE ANCIEN

Benjamin Appl and James Baillieu: Forbidden Fruit

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!

Manfred Honeck & Paul Lewis

Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor belongs to one of the programmes that have been consistently rescheduled due to the pandemic; fortunately, it can finally take place as it had originally been planned in the spring of 2020 with Paul Lewis as the soloist. The work is an unabashedly Romantic piece in which the young composer portrays the bright, expansive, and playful colors of his homeland in an almost impressionistic way. As one of the most sophisticated pianists of his generation, Britain’s Paul Lewis will render this musical portrait with consummate skill. In conductor Manfred Honeck’s conception, Schulhoff’s Five Pieces for String Quartet will be brought to life with a more expressive, or, to be precise, more Dadaist character: rhythmically concise, ecstatically pulsating – a playful new territory for the BRSO musicians. And, indeed, every concert that includes the Eroica is bound to be one of the highlights of an orchestral season.

Manfred Honeck & Paul Lewis

Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor belongs to one of the programmes that have been consistently rescheduled due to the pandemic; fortunately, it can finally take place as it had originally been planned in the spring of 2020 with Paul Lewis as the soloist. The work is an unabashedly Romantic piece in which the young composer portrays the bright, expansive, and playful colors of his homeland in an almost impressionistic way. As one of the most sophisticated pianists of his generation, Britain’s Paul Lewis will render this musical portrait with consummate skill. In conductor Manfred Honeck’s conception, Schulhoff’s Five Pieces for String Quartet will be brought to life with a more expressive, or, to be precise, more Dadaist character: rhythmically concise, ecstatically pulsating – a playful new territory for the BRSO musicians. And, indeed, every concert that includes the Eroica is bound to be one of the highlights of an orchestral season.

Vogler Quartett

Individuality finding harmonious expression in an ensemble – this is the quintessence of the Vogler Quartet, which has been pursuing a unique global career with an unchanged line-up since its formation in 1985. With an intelligent approach to chamber music, outstanding playing technique and interpretive sensitivity, Tim Vogler, Frank Reinecke, Stefan Fehlandt and Stephan Forck have created an unmistakable string quartet sound which consistently offers new insights into the genre. The group has had a concert series at the Konzerthaus Berlin since 1993.

Pleistozän

The Arctic is an alien habitat, a magnet for travellers, researchers and adventurers. And in the meantime, the continent has become a symbol of climate change. In the innovative scientific concert entitled »Pleistozän« (Pleistocene – the name of the last great ice age), geographer Dr André Baumeister takes the audience on a great journey through time illustrating the development of this unique habitat. He shows pictures and films, reports on his journeys along the Norwegian coast to the upper Arctic, Spitsbergen and the east coast of Greenland – and brings the beauty and fragility of the Arctic to life. An orchestra plays works to accompany the film, including music by Australian composer Nigel Westlake, who himself ventured onto the eternal ice with his »Antarctica Suite« of 1991.

Andrew Manze, Lukas Sternath

»My career feels a bit like the history of conducting: from a standing violinist to concertmaster and eventually with just a baton in my hand.« Andrew Manze was a celebrated baroque violinist in the early music scene for a long time, then decided in favour of the conductor’s podium – and is now also passionately immersing himself in the great romantic scores. He fell in love with music and his current profession at an early age: as a child, he simply plucked a branch from his parents’ garden and swung it to symphonies from the radio. Today, our guest conductor is known as a creative free spirit and exudes a lot of British charm. We are pleased that he is once again conducting one of his favourite programmes with us: Grieg wrote his famous piano concerto in 1868 as a newlywed – a very vivacious piece with memorable melodies and typical Norwegian rhythms, for which we welcome the young artist Lukas Sternath as soloist. There is also the colourful and compelling work »Transit Underground« by Swedish composer Tobias Broström, born in 1978. We will conclude with Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5, which he began in the middle of the First World War. It nevertheless carries a largely optimistic tone in a sea full of superb soundscapes – including the »swan theme«, sounding like film music. It will be a thrilling musical experience with Andrew Manze, because his overflowing joy in the compositions is inspiring and his impulses spark new ways of playing – and when everything works together in harmony, he is happy: »For me, the act of making music is everything. I love the magic when musicians come together, think about music and then something fantastic emerges.«

Andrew Manze, Lukas Sternath

»My career feels a bit like the history of conducting: from a standing violinist to concertmaster and eventually with just a baton in my hand.« Andrew Manze was a celebrated baroque violinist in the early music scene for a long time, then decided in favour of the conductor’s podium – and is now also passionately immersing himself in the great romantic scores. He fell in love with music and his current profession at an early age: as a child, he simply plucked a branch from his parents’ garden and swung it to symphonies from the radio. Today, our guest conductor is known as a creative free spirit and exudes a lot of British charm. We are pleased that he is once again conducting one of his favourite programmes with us: Grieg wrote his famous piano concerto in 1868 as a newlywed – a very vivacious piece with memorable melodies and typical Norwegian rhythms, for which we welcome the young artist Lukas Sternath as soloist. There is also the colourful and compelling work »Transit Underground« by Swedish composer Tobias Broström, born in 1978. We will conclude with Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5, which he began in the middle of the First World War. It nevertheless carries a largely optimistic tone in a sea full of superb soundscapes – including the »swan theme«, sounding like film music. It will be a thrilling musical experience with Andrew Manze, because his overflowing joy in the compositions is inspiring and his impulses spark new ways of playing – and when everything works together in harmony, he is happy: »For me, the act of making music is everything. I love the magic when musicians come together, think about music and then something fantastic emerges.«