Philharmonia Orchestra / Sol Gabetta / Santtu-Matias Rouvali

Sol Gabetta & Bertrand Chamayou

Sol Gabetta & Bertrand Chamayou

Jakub Hrůša, Vilde Frang, Sol Gabetta

»If music be the food of love, play on!« William Shakespeare once wrote – and in the same spirit, Jakub Hrůša, as our musical »chef de cuisine«, has once again put together sumptuous treats for our audience that unmistakably carry his personal signature. And we start off with a delicacy: With Brahms’ concerto, composed in 1887, which is much more than just a small appetiser – and also follows a quote by Adelbert von Chamisso, that says: »Love is not a solo. Love is a duet.« For the two celebrated soloists Vilde Frang and Sol Gabetta, it was a heartfelt wish to perform this double concerto together at some point – and they will certainly add their artistic flavours to blend into a »giant eight-stringed violin« in accordance with the composer’s wishes. The musical menu also features works by two other favourite composers of our Chief Conductor: Martinů’s Symphony No. 3, which he wrote in 1944 while in exile in America, contains echoes of the folk music of his Czech homeland, as well as skilfully processing the zeitgeist of that time – and, most importantly, indulging in great emotions. After this mighty symphony, we serve Dvořák’s »Scherzo capriccioso«, because Jakub Hrůša loves to break with the conventions of a traditional concert programme time and again. The name already suggests a playfully tossed-together dish and this imaginative, lavishly orchestrated and skilfully crafted scherzo from 1883 is not so little, but it is still a charming nightcap: it is one of the many captivating works from Dvořák’s pen to win people’s hearts by storm.

Jakub Hrůša, Vilde Frang, Sol Gabetta

»If music be the food of love, play on!« William Shakespeare once wrote – and in the same spirit, Jakub Hrůša, as our musical »chef de cuisine«, has once again put together sumptuous treats for our audience that unmistakably carry his personal signature. And we start off with a delicacy: With Brahms’ concerto, composed in 1887, which is much more than just a small appetiser – and also follows a quote by Adelbert von Chamisso, that says: »Love is not a solo. Love is a duet.« For the two celebrated soloists Vilde Frang and Sol Gabetta, it was a heartfelt wish to perform this double concerto together at some point – and they will certainly add their artistic flavours to blend into a »giant eight-stringed violin« in accordance with the composer’s wishes. The musical menu also features works by two other favourite composers of our Chief Conductor: Martinů’s Symphony No. 3, which he wrote in 1944 while in exile in America, contains echoes of the folk music of his Czech homeland, as well as skilfully processing the zeitgeist of that time – and, most importantly, indulging in great emotions. After this mighty symphony, we serve Dvořák’s »Scherzo capriccioso«, because Jakub Hrůša loves to break with the conventions of a traditional concert programme time and again. The name already suggests a playfully tossed-together dish and this imaginative, lavishly orchestrated and skilfully crafted scherzo from 1883 is not so little, but it is still a charming nightcap: it is one of the many captivating works from Dvořák’s pen to win people’s hearts by storm.

Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden / Sol Gabetta / Tugan Sokhiev

What do Shostakovich’s First Cello Concerto and Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony have in common? That’s right: they both have the catalogue number 107 and – and this is the real point – the cello can be heard at the beginning. One could assume that the similarities end here. While Bruckner focusses on long melodic lines and vocal arches, Shostakovich is much more rhythmic. Nevertheless, both composers pursue the same goal: the expression of the greatest and most intense emotions. With Tugan Sokhiev and the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, they are in the best of hands. With its unique sound – Herbert von Karajan compared it to the »lustre of old gold« – the venerable orchestra puts the two sound monoliths at the Elbphilharmonie in the perfect acoustic light. Star cellist Sol Gabetta provides the right pitch on the cello.

Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse / Sol Gabetta / Tarmo Peltokoski

»I wouldn’t have become a conductor if I hadn’t discovered the music of Wagner,« admits Tarmo Peltokoski, the 24-year-old rising star who will be Music Director of the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse from September 2024. At his ProArte debut, the Finn, who has been hailed as the »talent of the century«, also conducts a programme that certainly has something to do with Wagner – without a single one of his works being performed. Whether Claude Debussy’s shimmering »Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune«, Ernest Bloch’s oriental-influenced cello rhapsody »Schelomo« – a feast for star cellist Sol Gabetta – or the powerful First Symphony by Wagner fan Gustav Mahler: each of these works deals with Richard Wagner in its own way. A home game »around the corner« for Tarmo Peltokoski.

Viotti, Gabetta · Saint-Saëns, Rimsky-Korsakov

Fridays@7 with Viotti and Gabetta

Exile Orchestra MRIYA

To mark Ukraine’s Independence Day, the exile orchestra MRIYA will perform an extraordinary concert with works by German and Ukrainian composers. The ensemble was founded in March 2022 by professional musicians who had to flee to Germany to escape the horrors of the Russian war of aggression and, under the direction of violinist Kateryna Suprun, founded an ensemble that grew into the MRIYA exile orchestra with the support of the Hamburg-based funding organisation Culture Connects e. V.. With around 80 concerts in venues such as the Berlin Philharmonie, the Gewandhaus Leipzig and the Laeiszhalle Hamburg, the orchestra has established an excellent reputation.

Cologne Citizens' Orchestra

Playing in an orchestra - for many Cologne residents, this wish is fulfilled in the Cologne Citizens' Orchestra, which the Gürzenich Orchestra founded in the 2019/20 season. The initiative is a matter close to the heart of the musicians in the orchestra. More than 40 of them are working on the works with the participants and supporting them in their preparations for the joint concert in the Kölner Philharmonie.