Concerts with works by

John Adams

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich / Víkingur Ólafsson / Paavo Järvi

Since the Elbphilharmonie opened, Estonian star conductor Paavo Järvi has been one of its permanent guests, enchanting Hamburg audiences at several concerts a year. Now the conductor of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen again comes to the Grand Hall with his second top orchestra, the venerable Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich. They will be joined by Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, who gave two brilliant renderings of Johann Sebastian Bach’s »Goldberg Variations« in Hamburg last season. On the programme is a new piano concerto by US composer John Adams, which was commissioned by the Elbphilharmonie among others. And the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich tackles two of the most famous modern orchestral pieces by György Ligeti and Witold Lutosławski, who skilfully combined folk music from Hungary and Poland with a thrilling orchestral sound in the 1950s.

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich / Paavo Järvi

With the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, its musical director the Estonian conductor Paavo Järvi, and the music of John Adams—which he sometimes performs alongside the composer—Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson is on friendly turf.

Wie frei ist die Kunst?

The Ensemble Modern's concert series "How Free is Art?" explores artistic freedom and its limits through music and discussions. Philharmonie director Louwrens Langevoort and Museum Ludwig director Yilmaz Dziewior discuss how organizers can meet audience expectations, programming freedoms, and external influences. The concert features avant-garde music (Pierre Boulez), minimalist music (John Adams), and Jennifer Walshe's "Unbreakable line. Hinged waist".

Shani, Ólafsson · Adams, Bernstein