Concerts with works by

Georg Friedrich Händel

Dame Sarah Connolly sings opera aria’s by Händel

The Concertgebouw’s famous Main Hall is one of the best concert halls in the world, well-known for its exceptional acoustics and special atmosphere. In the Main Hall, you will feel history. Here, Gustav Mahler conducted his own compositions, as did Richard Strauss and Igor Stravinsky. Sergei Rachmaninoff played his own piano concertos in the Main Hall. This is also where musicians such as Leonard Bernstein, Vladimir Horowitz and Yehudi Menuhin gave legendary performances. Right up to now, the Main Hall offers a stage to the world’s best orchestras and musicians. Buy your tickets now and experience the magic of the Main Hall for yourself!

Iestyn Davies, Robin Ticciati and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe

Anyone who delves into George Frideric Handel’s vocal and instrumental music will find a wealth of treasures. Elegance, virtuosity, delicacy – all this can be discovered in an endlessly inventive world of musical expression. In a programme with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and conductor Robin Ticciati, you can experience some of Handel’s most beautiful arias and orchestral pieces from operas and other works. Iestyn Davies, one of the leading countertenors of our time, is the soloist. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a great admirer of Handel. His festive and exuberant “Haffner Symphony” concludes the programme.

Mozart Week Salzburg

Chamber Orchestra of Europe / Iestyn Davies / Robin Ticciati

»The Chamber Orchestra of Europe is all about the music. In concert, this magical group unleashes an unbridled, emotional fervour, underpinned by profound wisdom. It is a privilege to work with this orchestra,« conductor Robin Ticciati raves about the democratically organised orchestra, with which he has been a regular guest at the Elbphilharmonie for almost ten years now. This orchestra-conductor dream team is now building on its celebrated 2019 Mozart project, and has invited Grammy Award-winning countertenor Iestyn Davies to conjure up magical moments in the Elbphilharmonie Grand Hall with arias by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and George Frideric Handel. The concert comes to an end with Mozart’s »Haffner« Symphony, whose lively finale includes melodies from the opera »Die Entführung aus dem Serail«, composed in the same year.

Mozart Week Salzburg

Hongni Wu | Ensemble Resonanz | Riccardo Minasi

Beethoven, though never in Italy, had connections. His 3rd Symphony, "Eroica", was dedicated to Napoleon, exiled to Elba. Riccardo Minasi conducts Ensemble Resonanz. The program also features works by Locatelli (concerti grossi), Handel (operatic pieces), and Cherubini (aria from "Medea"), whom Beethoven admired.

Juan de la Rubia Recital

Born in Castellón, Spain, Juan de la Rubia is the organist at Barcelona's Sagrada Família. Known for his skill in opulent arrangements, virtuoso improvisations, classical pieces, and jazz influences, he has performed at prestigious venues like the Auditorio Nacional, Gewandhaus Leipzig, and Elbphilharmonie. Now, he debuts at the Philharmonie Essen.

AKADEMIE FÜR ALTE MUSIK BERLIN & CHRISTOPHER AINSLIE

Countertenor Christopher Ainslie—who made his debut with the Boulez Ensemble last season—and the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin present a selection of arias from the operas of George Frideric Handel that celebrate the joys and sorrows of love. The musicians are joined by students of the Barenboim-Said Akademie who will work with the ensemble for first-hand training in historical performance practice. Instrumental pieces by Handel’s London contemporaries frame the operatic excerpts.

Himmelsklänge

Stefan Zweig's "Sternstunden der Menschheit" explores impactful decisions. One such moment is Handel's "Messiah." Not just a success, but Handel's resurrection from illness and failure through Jennens' biblical text. Composed in three weeks, it remains a Christmas staple despite being intended for Easter. Its blend of old and new testaments makes it fitting for any Christian celebration, making a February performance a welcome occasion.

Michael Spyres Il Pomo d'Oro "Tenore assoluto!"

Michael Spyres, an exceptional American tenor, has a vocal range of over three octaves. Praised for his spectacular high notes and rich middle and lower registers, Spyres challenges the historical dominance of castrati. His performance in Essen will showcase his versatility across French and Italian Baroque repertoire, accompanied by period-instrument ensemble Il Pomo d'Oro.

Anna Geniushene / Piano Recital

The NDR describes her as the »new star in the pianist sky« and in fact Anna Geniushene has already been attracting attention for several years. The long-standing American magazine »Musical America« selected her as the Young Artist of the Month in July 2022 and was particularly impressed by her »powerful sound« and her »musical personality«. Also, the young Russian landed in first place in major competitions, such as the Leeds Piano Competition, Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Competition and the Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition. The pianist is now a guest in the »Pianomania« series for the first time – with a varied programme fully in line with the theme of »Transcriptions«, which ranges from early Handel right up to the 20th century. In addition to two opera adaptations by Franz Liszt, you can also look forward to Fritz Kreisler’s bittersweet melodies »Liebesleid« and »Liebesfreud«, which none other than Sergei Rachmaninoff transposed from the violin to the piano. The six extremely solemn choral preludes from the quill of Johannes Brahms, which the Italian Ferruccio Busoni – perhaps the most ingenious arranger of the early modern period – arranged for the piano are in a completely different mood. Igor Stravinsky’s ballet fairy tale »The Firebird«, for which Italian pianist Guido Agosti created an extremely virtuoso piano arrangement from its flamboyant orchestral setting, is ultimately the brilliant conclusion.

Camille Thomas / Günther Groissböck / Boris Kusnezow / Klangrausch

In the second part of the chamber music festival by and with the musicians of the Gropius Quartet and the string trio Klangrausch, the latter will perform chamber music highlights together with illustrious guests. From Dvořák’s famous Terzetto to Schubert’s Erlkönig with vocal star Günther Groissböck, Gustav Mahler’s marvellous piano quartet and Arensky’s quartet with two cellos with Camille Thomas. An evening that is certainly unique in this mix.

Tschechische Kammerphilharmonie Prag / Martin Kos / Petr Chromčák

Trilling and chirping birds in spring, buzzing and humming bees just before a furious thunderstorm in summer, grape harvest in autumn, biting cold and falling snowflakes in winter – no artistic work describes the four seasons better than Antonio Vivaldi’s cycle of the same name. The Tschechische Kammerphilharmonie Prag will be performing it as well as Handel’s »Water Music« and Haydn’s »Farewell Symphony« in the Grand Hall of the Laeiszhalle.

Klassische Philharmonie Bonn / Silke Aichhorn / Ervis Gega

Accompanied by delicate harp sounds and soft strings, this evening is a feast for the senses: in an intimate atmosphere, floating light accents conjure up points of inspiration on the stage. The light from the lanterns creates a warmth that creates a connection between the artists and the audience. The music of great composers tells stories that touch the heart and soul. With its lively and clear melodies, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s serenade »Eine kleine Nachtmusik« is one of the most famous compositions in classical music. George Frideric Handel’s Harp Concerto in B flat major enchants with its elegant lightness and subtle nuances that make the harp shine as a solo instrument. Gustav Mahler’s Adagietto from the Fifth Symphony is a deeply emotional piece that is considered a musical love poem and makes time stand still with its tenderness. Finally, Antonín Dvořák’s String Serenade in E major exudes a touch of romanticism, full of Bohemian folk melodies and swinging elegance.

Jeanine De Bique, Maarten Engeltjes & PRJCT Amsterdam: Handel

The Concertgebouw’s famous Main Hall is one of the best concert halls in the world, well-known for its exceptional acoustics and special atmosphere. In the Main Hall, you will feel history. Here, Gustav Mahler conducted his own compositions, as did Richard Strauss and Igor Stravinsky. Sergei Rachmaninoff played his own piano concertos in the Main Hall. This is also where musicians such as Leonard Bernstein, Vladimir Horowitz and Yehudi Menuhin gave legendary performances. Right up to now, the Main Hall offers a stage to the world’s best orchestras and musicians. Buy your tickets now and experience the magic of the Main Hall for yourself!

From the Thames to Lake Wörthersee

From the Thames to Lake Wörthersee

Andrea Marcon · BRSO hip

“Historically informed performance” can sound unwieldy. This is why there is a catchier colloquial abbreviation: “HIP,” which denotes something that is “modern,” or even “trendy.” According to BRSO Chief Conductor Sir Simon Rattle, his beloved baroque music, played on period instruments, is “trending” (another colloquial verb), and he wants to add it to the orchestra’s repertory and profile. Andrea Marcon, at the invitation of Sir Simon, will conduct this season’s second HIP matinee. As a deliberate contrast to the first matinee that featured Bach cantatas, the second matinee will focus primarily on the Italian Baroque, including Vivaldi’s well-known Four Seasons. Francesco Maria Veracini’s compositions are likely to be new to some listeners – and perhaps they will even be HIP by the end of the concert.

Original sound: Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante

A journey through the diversity of European baroque music: the Europa Galante ensemble on an exciting journey with its programme Europe on the move. The members of the ensemble, founded and led by Fabio Biondi, see themselves as cosmopolitans with Italian roots. “With our Italianità, we show that we live in a Europe that is, fortunately, both united and full of differences,” says Biondi. Europa Galante has played its way to the forefront of the early music scene with its passionate, lively music-making, and has rescued many musical treasures from oblivion.

Klassische Philharmonie Bonn, Ervis Gega

Nicolas van Poucke plays Schumann's Davidsbündlertänze

Schumann's alter egos, Eusebius and Florestan, are well known and represent his dreamy, thoughtful side (Eusebius) and his impulsive, fiery side (Florestan). These characters are part of an imaginary group of friends, the Davidsbund, that Schumann had created in his head. In the Davidsbündlertänze these alter egos conduct a lively dialogue, in which the contrasts between them are beautifully expressed. So important were these characters to Schumann that he even attributed the composition to them; Schumann's own name does not appear anywhere on the title page of the first edition of the Davidsbündlertänze.

Chor des Bach-Vereins Köln

Beide erblickten 1685 das Licht der Welt, schufen bereits mit 22 Jahren packende Vokalwerke von höchster Kunstfertigkeit und gelten heute als die herausragenden Komponisten-Persönlichkeiten des Barocks: Johann Sebastian Bach und Georg Friedrich Händel. Ihre Vertonungen »Christ lag in Todesbanden«, »Gloria« und »Dixit Dominus«, allesamt 1707 entstanden, sind eindrucksvolle Zeugnisse ihrer schon in jungen Jahren ausgeprägten musikalischen Meisterschaft in hochdramatischer, bildhafter Textauslegung.

Guest performance

Georg Friedrich Haendel / Airs allemands

For the most English of German-born composers, these intimate arias composed between 1724 and 1726 were an ode to his origins. A concentrate of grace, with Les Arts Florissants stripped down to its chamber formation, and soloists Rowan Pierce and James Way.

Georg Friedrich Haendel / La Résurrection

The Easter festivities continue with Handel’s oratorio La resurrezione, performed by Les Arts Florissants, which over the years has interpreted many of the Baroque master’s lyrical and sacred scores.

Jeanine De Bique "Mirrors"

The concert program "Mirrors" explores the same character from two mirroring perspectives. The arias depict key psychological moments of heroines like Agrippina and Cleopatra, set to music by Handel and Graun, among others. These works portray courageous, vulnerable, and passionate personalities. Soprano Jeanine De Bique, known for her bold performances, joins the specialist ensemble Concerto Köln in this musical exploration.

Handel: Jephtha

Joyce DiDonato and Michael Spyres star in Handel’s Jephtha – the composer's valedictory oratorio.

The English Concert/Bicket

A runaway hit at its 1724 premiere, Louise Alder stars in Giulio Cesare - arguably Handel’s most popular operatic creation – a drama teeming with passion and political skulduggery.

Guest performance