Klassische Philharmonie Bonn / Alexander Hülshoff

Klassische Philharmonie Bonn, Alexander Hülshoff

Klassische Philharmonie Bonn, Alexander Hülshoff

Klassische Philharmonie Bonn / Laura Handler / Alexander Hülshoff

The Klassische Philharmonie Bonn is based in Bonn and so the city’s most important musical son always plays a role in the programmes designed by the orchestra’s Artistic Director, Ervis Gega. The 2024/25 season begins with »Beethoven pur« (Simply Beethoven), which this time features two absolute favourites from the composer’s pen.

Klassische Philharmonie Bonn / Caleb Borick / Alexander Hülshoff

The season of the Klassische Philharmonie Bonn ends as it began – with Beethoven! This time, however, Beethoven’s most famous symphony, Symphony No. 5, which has become known as the Fate Symphony, is juxtaposed with a piano concerto by Johannes Brahms. Brahms’s second piano concerto was composed 22 years after the first work in this genre and is partly symphonic in scale. And yet Brahms himself wrote about the work to Elisabeth von Herzogenberg that he had written »a very small piano concerto with a very small, delicate scherzo«. The soloist in this concert is the 21-year-old American Caleb Borick, who won the International Telekom Beethoven Competition in 2023. But the beginning of the concert starts up north to the Scottish Hebrides: Felix Mendelssohn was privileged by his wealthy family, enabling him to undertake numerous journeys – including to Scotland, to the Hebrides, whose rugged beauty he translated into nature.

Klassische Philharmonie Bonn, Deniola Kuraja

Klassische Philharmonie Bonn, Ervis Gega

Klassische Philharmonie Bonn, Vladimir Fanshil

Klassische Philharmonie Bonn / Aleksey Shadrin / Vladimir Fanshil

»Auf nach Paris!« (Off to Paris!) is the motto of the Klassische Philharmonie Bonn’s concert in February. This time, the orchestra looks to neighbouring France and has designed the programme with this in mind: it starts with Haydn’s Symphony No. 83 with the beautiful nickname »La Poule« (The Chicken). The work was composed in 1785 for the concert series »Le Concert de la Loge Olympique« and confirmed Haydn’s fame in France.

Klassische Philharmonie Bonn / Niklas Liepe / Ingmar Beck

In the last programme of its 2023/24 season, the Klassische Philharmonie Bonn breaks new ground together with the multi-award-winning violinist Niklas Liepe. The programme includes »Tipping Points«, the violin concerto composed in 2023 by the English composer Rachel Portman. Oscar winner Portman is known for her film music, which can be heard in »Chocolat«, »Emma« and the Irving adaptation »The Cider House Rules«, among others. The Klassische Philharmonie Bonn was founded in 1986, has around 60 members and performs its own regular concert series in concert halls throughout Germany. The orchestra’s repertoire ranges from music of the baroque to modern periods, with a particular focus on works from the First Viennese School, although contemporary works and compositions by school pupils are regularly found alongside Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.

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.