ELISABETH LEONSKAJA

Portraitkonzert Elisabeth Leonskaja

Elisabeth Leonskaja piano

Elisabeth Leonskaja / Piano Recital

Elisabeth Leonskaja is acknowledged as one of today’s eminent authorities at the piano keyboard. Since her breakthrough at the 1979 Salzburg Festival, the Russian pianist, who has been living in Vienna for more than 40 years, has enjoyed one international success after another. In 2006 she was awarded Austria’s Medal of Honour for Science and the Arts, first class, for her services to music – a distinction awarded 110 years before to no lesser figure than Johannes Brahms. At the Elbphilharmonie Leonskaja now plays all three Brahms sonatas on one evening. A truly impressive undertaking: the Brahms piano sonatas have a reputation as not only some of the most beautiful, but also some of the most demanding works of their genre. This much was already evident in 1853 to perhaps the most influential composer and music critic of his time: Robert Schumann. He met the 20-year-old Brahms in Düsseldorf, who played Schumann the sonatas he had just completed on the piano. The wildly enthusiastic Schumann took up his pen without further ado and wrote: »These sonatas were more like veiled symphonies. He seemed as a raging current to unite them all in a waterfall, bearing a peaceful rainbow aloft as the water surged over the edge, carrying them to the shore accompanied by butterflies and the song of nightingales.«

Académie Piano-Piano : Elisabeth Leonskaja

Leonskaja

Orchestre Français des Jeunes / Elisabeth Leonskaja / Kristiina Poska

It is the counterpart to the German National Youth Orchestra and therefore the best youth orchestra in France: the Orchestre Français des Jeunes. Every summer, the young musicians go on a major tour of Europe and this year their first stop will be at the Elbphilharmonie. Alongside their designated chief conductor Kristiina Poska, they will accompany Elisabeth Leonskaja, a true piano legend, and explore the soundscapes of Berlioz, Tchaikovsky and Schumann with youthful vigour. In complete contrast to the rest of the opera, the overture to »Benvenuto Cellini« by Hector Berlioz was a great success at its premiere and remains so to this day. Full of variety, the music sets the mood for colourful carnival hustle and bustle and a dramatic love story. Piotr I. Tchaikovsky’s Second Piano Concerto, on the other hand, tends to lead a shadowy existence in the concert world. And yet the work is full of pianistic discoveries and beautiful melodies, with several highly virtuoso piano solos in the first movement, a dialogue between piano, violin and cello in the second movement and a typically lively Tchaikovsky finale. In the second half of the concert, the orchestra will present Robert Schumann’s »Rhenish« Symphony, which was given its nickname by a friend of Schumann. The composer had recently moved to Düsseldorf and travelled from here to other places on the Rhine. He probably captured many an impression of the river, paddle steamers, dancing country dances and even the towering Cologne Cathedral in music.

Noa Wildschut / Elisabeth Brauß

With violinist Noa Wildschut and pianist Elisabeth Brauß, two of the best musicians of their generation return to the Elbphilharmonie. As the youngest scholarship holder of the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation, Noa Wildschut has already played with world-renowned orchestras, such as the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Cologne’s Gürzenich Orchester. And Elisabeth Brauß was on the keys as a former member of the BBC New Generation Artist Scheme with orchestras such as the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and the hr-Sinfonieorchester. They both know each other well and get together regularly for joint chamber music evenings despite their busy schedules. In 2020, you could experience them at the »Rising Stars« Festival at the Elbphilharmonie; now, they return to the Recital Hall in the Fast Lane series. With Clara Schumann’s Three Romances and Johannes Brahms’ Sonata in G major, they perform two of the most romantic pieces of all for violin and piano. After the sophisticated sounds of George Enescu’s Violin Sonata No. 3, they top off their programme with an entertaining showpiece by American pianist and composer Paul Schoenfield, which transforms the concert hall into a dancehall with a lively samba, a raunchy tango, a swinging Tin Pan Alley and an energetic square dance.

Liszt's Legende von der heiligen Elisabeth

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!

Den Krebs besiegen – Ein Abend für Elisabeth

16-year-old Elisabeth from Georgia has acute myeloid leukemia. A benefit concert with artists from Berlin and Georgia aims to support her and cover medical expenses. This event is a sign of solidarity and hope, and all contributions will significantly help Elisabeth's recovery and demonstrate the importance of community support.

Free Lunchtime Concert: Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel

For many years now, Lunchtime Concerts have been held in the Main Hall and the Recital Hall. The concerts range from public rehearsals by the Concertgebouworkest, to chamber music performances by young up-and-coming artists.For Lunchtime Concerts you will require a free ticket, which you can buy online. Doors to the concert hall open about 30 minutes before the Lunchtime Concert starts.We offer a broad range of music: the majority of concerts include classical music, but you can sometimes hear more modern repertoire. The concert programme is announced one week in advance on our website. The concerts last thirty minutes and are free of charge. Visitors are advised that these concerts are suitable for children from six years old.

Watch This Space: Hanna-Elisabeth Müller & friends