John Luther Adams: Become Ocean

John Williams conducts John Williams

What would films like Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones or Harry Potter be without his extraordinary music? John Williams, superstar of American film music, gave all these blockbusters their unmistakable sound. His soundtracks provide so much more than catchy tunes; they lend depth and nuance to both stories and characters. In 2021, John Williams made his debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker, leading the audience through the cosmos of his work. This season brings a new opportunity to hear him conduct his own music: a major event, not just for film fans.

John Williams conducts John Williams

What would films like Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones or Harry Potter be without his extraordinary music? John Williams, superstar of American film music, gave all these blockbusters their unmistakable sound. His soundtracks provide so much more than catchy tunes; they lend depth and nuance to both stories and characters. In 2021, John Williams made his debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker, leading the audience through the cosmos of his work. This season brings a new opportunity to hear him conduct his own music: a major event, not just for film fans.

John Williams conducts John Williams

What would films like Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones or Harry Potter be without his extraordinary music? John Williams, superstar of American film music, gave all these blockbusters their unmistakable sound. His soundtracks provide so much more than catchy tunes; they lend depth and nuance to both stories and characters. In 2021, John Williams made his debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker, leading the audience through the cosmos of his work. This season brings a new opportunity to hear him conduct his own music: a major event, not just for film fans.

Roukens, Adams and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 4

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!

John Cage: Music and Dance

John Cage was a free spirit, a pioneer and revolutionary who turned the way his contemporaries saw music upside down. In humorous happenings and numerous appearances on popular TV shows, he surprised audiences with everyday objects and incorporated squeaky ducks, watering cans and pressure cookers into his works. A completely new approach! His best-known piece »4’33’’« doesn’t have a single note: 4 minutes and 33 seconds of tense silence – that too, according to Cage, is music. At the Hamburg International Music Festival, celebrated pianist Bertrand Chamayou performs legendary Cage pieces with dance accompaniment in »Cage²«. In the late 1930s, the accomplished pianist Cage was experimenting with the expressive possibilities of his instrument, kitting out his piano with screws and erasers that he inserted between the strings. Cage soon after used the resulting percussion-like sound when the dancer Syvilla Fort commissioned him in 1940 to compose incidental music for her choreographies, where rhythm was to play a central role. The unusual combination of primed piano and dance was so successful that more commissions from other dancers followed as a result. For »Cage²«, Bertrand Chamayou is bringing this music back to the stage again. The album of the same name, which was released in May 2024, received universal acclaim. »Impeccable” was the verdict from Gramophone magazine, while the Guardian wrote: » Chamayou’s performance of all of them, each complex rhythm razor sharp, every phrase perfectly articulated, is exemplary. It’s a fabulous disc, a true revelation.« All the more reason to be delighted with the addition of choreography to the phenomenal music on stage.

Adams Debussy

Adams Debussy

Adams Dessner Glass

Adams Dessner Glass