ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra / Vanessa Porter / Bas Wiegers

Carolin Widmann | SWR Symphonieorchester | Bas Wiegers

To explore sound's intricacies, Kaija Saariaho put it "under the microscope." The SWR Symphony Orchestra, with violinist Carolin Widmann, honors the late Finnish composer. Saariaho's early work "Verblendungen" intertwines orchestra and tape. Her violin concerto "Graal théâtre" draws inspiration from the Holy Grail legend. The concert opens with Lutosławski's lively "Little Suite" and concludes with Debussy's "La Mer."

Bas Wiegers dirigiert Werke von LutosŁawski, Saariaho und Debussy

Bas Wiegers dirigiert Werke von LutosŁawski, Saariaho und Debussy

Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra / Josef Špaček / Petr Popelka

When Petr Popelka conducts the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra in music by three of the most famous composers from his Czech homeland, that is a speciality in itself. And Dvořák’s »The Noon Witch« adds another rarity to the programme. In this symphonic poem, a witch appears on the scene at exactly noon and has a decisive influence on events in both the underlying fairy tale and the music. Of course, Dvořák did not miss the opportunity to incorporate the chimes of the church clock into his composition. We also hear a work by Dvořák’s son-in-law Josef Suk, who set four other fairy tale scenes to music in his orchestral piece »Pohádka«. But this Czech evening opens with music by Suk’s pupil Bohuslav Martinů. With his numerous echoes of folk music, Martinů enchanted not only his fellow countrymen, but also American culture-lovers in the 1940s and 1950s. It goes almost without saying that his Violin Concerto is performed by the exceptional Czech violinist Josef Špaček.

Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra / Kirill Gerstein / Daniel Harding

For health reasons, pianist María João Pires is unfortunately unable to perform in this concert. The equally renowned pianist Kirill Gerstein is stepping in for her. Together with Daniel Harding and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, he will present Mozart's Piano Concerto in D minor, in which the orchestra and soloist will engage in a particularly exciting dialogue. The second main work on the programme is Richard Strauss’s tone poem »Also sprach Zarathustra«, which begins with one of the most famous fanfares in music and cinematic history! Tickets retain their validity and ticket buyers will be informey by e-mail. And before those two classics of the repertoire, chief conductor Harding and his radio orchestra present a rarely performed work: the folk-inspired 1904 tone poem »En skärgardssägen« (Legend of the Skerries) by the Swedish composer Hugo Alfvén. After the interval, the sun rises in Strauss’s celebration of nature and the creation – with the fanfare used by Stanley Kubrick in his classic 1968 movie »2001 – A Space Odyssey«.

Vienna Symphony / María Dueñas / Marie Jaquot

We will be hearing more from Marie Jacquot! The Principal Guest Conductor of the Vienna Symphony – and Chief Conductor Designate of the WDR Symphony Orchestra – inspires musicians and audiences alike with fresh interpretations as well as with the stunningly brilliant sounds she knows how to elicit from »her« Viennese orchestra. In her ProArte programme, Jacquot demonstrates an awareness of tradition by opening the concert with a Bruckner arrangement by the orchestra’s founder Ferdinand Löwe. The rest of the programme is also all about Vienna: María Dueñas returns to ProArte after her brilliant debut in March 2024 with the violin concerto by Viennese-by-choice Ludwig van Beethoven. The crowning finale is a piano quartet by probably the most famous Viennese immigrant after Beethoven: the op. 25 by Johannes Brahms, arranged for orchestra by native Viennese Arnold Schönberg.

Elbphilharmonie Creative Orchestra

Members of the Elbphilharmonie Kreativorchester (Creative Orchestra) have rehearsed together for five months now – for the grand finale, they present a concert in the Elbphilharmonie Kaistudio. All beginnings are easy in the Kreativorchester. Even the people who have not yet mastered an instrument or do not have time to play every week are invited to take part in the orchestra and draw on a wide range of experience. At the final concert, participants prove that kitchen utensils, one’s own body and plenty of improvisation can be used to create an orchestra.

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra visits Konserthuset under the baton of its Chief Conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali. They are joined by the celebrated Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki, internationally acclaimed by both audiences and critics for his beautiful touch and boundless virtuosity.Together, they present Frédéric Chopin's beloved First Piano Concerto. For Chopin, the piano always took centre stage. His nocturnes, études, mazurkas, polonaises, and impromptus have captivated listeners ever since he charmed audiences in the salons of Paris, or at the few concerts he gave during his all-too-short life. The orchestra plays a subordinate role even in the piano concerto – it is the soloist who shines with imaginative passages, beautiful bel canto melodies, and swirling dances.Regarding what would become his final symphony, Tchaikovsky wrote in a letter to his brother Anatoly: "I am now completely absorbed in the new work and find it difficult to tear myself away from it. I believe it will be one of my best works. I must finish it as soon as possible." The symphony indeed became one of the great musical masterpieces, filled with profound darkness and exalted beauty.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Westdeutsche Konzertdirektion celebrate their long-standing artistic friendship with an opening concert for this year's anniversary season. Mutter, alongside the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, will perform Mendelssohn's captivating violin concerto, promising an unforgettable evening.

Polstjärnepriset Symphony Orchestra

The Polstjärnepriset Symphony Orchestra is one of the leading symphony orchestras for young musicians in the Nordic region. It comprises some of the most talented young musicians of today. The soloist who wins the Polstjärnepriset competition will represent Sweden in Eurovision Young Musicians – Europe’s largest competition for young classical musicians, watched by millions of TV viewers across the continent.In recent years, the orchestra has enjoyed a series of successes – including a performance at the 2023 Baltic Sea Festival in Berwaldhallen, conducted by none other than Esa-Pekka Salonen. The Polstjärnepriset is both a soloist competition and a course for young musicians aged 14–18, alternating each year between a Nordic and a Swedish edition. All twenty competitors and sixty course participants in the most recent Nordic edition make up the symphony orchestra. After the competition’s grand final at the Gothenburg Concert Hall, it is now time to present themselves in Stockholm.In addition to solo performances by the winner of the 2025 competition and other finalists, the programme includes Antonín Dvorák’s Symphony No. 9, From the New World, and music for string orchestra by Béla Bartók and Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel. The Polstjärnepriset Symphony Orchestra is led by Swedish conductor Andreas van Tol.