Classical Pride: Voices of Tomorrow

Classical Pride: Voices of Joy & Sorrow

A triumphant finale to 2025’s Classical Pride, as the London Symphony Orchestra and conductor Oliver Zeffman celebrate LGBTQ+ voices in classical music with a vibrant programme.

World The voices of Persia

Hossein Alizadeh is a musical legend in his native Iran. He plays the Persian long-necked lute tār with unmatched virtuosity. Yet the musician is not a traditionalist. Though his playing is rooted in the traditional music of his country, his performances bring it into the here and now. For example, he has developed a new instrument from the traditional setar: the shourangiz, whose name means “to give passion”. With the two singers Zohre Gholipour and Mehdi Emami, we also hear two of Iran’s most important musical voices.

50 Voices – unplugged

The renowned Hamburg choir 50 Voices has been enchanting audiences with its unique sound for 35 years. This winter, the motto is: Unplugged – pure with piano. The 50 singers are looking forward to presenting their varied repertoire of funk, soul, pop and gospel, including touching classics and rousing new arrangements, in the Recital Hall of the Laeiszhalle. Under the direction of Lerato Shadare, Andreas Paulsen and Christian Schicht, the audience can expect a concert in a class of its own: 50 Voices, an evening full of emotion, energy and pure singing.

The Golden Voices of Gospel

»Clap your hands...«, »stamp your feet...«, »shout hallelujah....« will be the order of the day when the audience is invited to join in and experience the music. The sometimes melancholy, sometimes rousingly spirited gospels, supported by the fantastic rhythm section, get under your skin like hardly any other music. And yet these are church songs as they are sung in the services of the Black Churches in the USA and the Caribbean. In their very personal and inimitable way, the Golden Voices of Gospel invite you on a journey through a century of spirituals, traditionals and gospels. This music expresses like no other the attitude to life, the pride and the devotion of the vast majority of the black population in the USA.

Choir of the Screaming Men & Bulgarian Voices Angelite

Reflecting the creativity that has driven him to explore almost every genre as an artist, André Heller has invited very different groups to perform together in joint concerts at the Reflektor festival curated by him. The Finnish choir of screaming men »Mieskuoro Huutajat« and the Bulgarian women’s choir »Angelite« both count among the best-known vocal groups of their respective countries, and they have gained fame far beyond those borders. A choir that doesn’t sing? In the choir’s concerts, Mieskuoro Huutajat declaims, shouts and screams everything from national anthems to nursery rhymes and legislative texts. At times, the 30 men bellow in unisono, at other times in multiple rhythmically complex groups of voices, usually a cappella and sometimes using props such as megaphones or Alpine-horn-like flues. Petri Sirviö composes works for the choir and conducts it – with a drumstick. Bulgarian Voices Angelite take a slightly more conventional approach: the women’s choir presents Bulgaria’s unique singing tradition in colourful costumes. In addition to Bulgarian folk songs, the choir also performs contemporary commissioned works that build on that musical legacy. With music balanced between western harmony and eastern microtonal vibrations, the choir leaves all folk cliches far behind.

Spielzeit#35 – Festival Voices

As the first symphony orchestra, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin started an interactive livestream series on the gaming platform twitch in April 2021.The monthly two-hour livestreams are called „Spielzeit" and had 1.34 million views so far. For an average of 3.000 viewers, members of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin play music, explain their instruments and offer glimpses into their professional daily life.

Grootkoor Holland: 1000 voices

The Concertgebouw is right at the heart of Dutch music. That is why we love to welcome the best amateur orchestras and choirs of the Netherlands. To an amateur musician a performance at the Concertgebouw is always special, often marking the end of an extensive period of rehearsals. Please note: although these concerts are of a high standard, they are not performed by professional ensembles.

London Sinfonietta: Henze's Voices

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!

Guest performance ‟Between Yesterday and Tomorrowˮ