Philharmonic Salon A closer look at Carl Maria von Weber

25 years “Philharmonic Salon”

For 25 years, curator and cellist Götz Teutsch has been bringing music and literature together in the Philharmonic Salon. A wide variety of cultural worlds have been experienced. The series has presented the Mendelssohn family and their guests, traced the travels of the legendary Casanova, and brought Gustav Mahler's Vienna to life. This anniversary concert, featuring actor Heikko Deutschmann and soprano Anna Prohaska with members of the Berliner Philharmoniker, is all about art and kitsch – two worlds that are particularly captivating when they overlap.

Carmina Burana von Carl Orff

Discourse at the Philharmonie “Is climate change disappearing from the political agenda?”

Marine biologist Antje Boetius and sociologist Steffen Mau discuss a controversial issue with Christiane Florin.

Discourse at the Philharmonie “Germany after the state elections: How much has the country changed?”

State elections in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg are shaking up Germany's political landscape. How changed will the country be in autumn 2024? Writer Anne Rabe and political journalist Robin Alexander discuss this with Christiane Florin.

“The 75th birthday” ‒ A matinee to celebrate the Friends of the Berliner Philharmoniker association

A matinee to celebrate the association's anniversary75 years ago, on 17 October 1949, our association was founded. Its aim was to build a new concert hall for the Berliner Philharmoniker, who had become homeless during World War II. The “Friends” formed a large citizens' initiative and, with their contributions and donation campaigns, made a significant impact on the opening of the Philharmonie, which was designed by Hans Scharoun, in 1963. But there was still a lot to do afterwards: The chamber music hall opened its doors in 1987, the orchestra received valuable instruments, and many major projects such as the Philharmoniker's Europakonzert were realised with our support. We want to celebrate this round birthday: with prominent guests and, of course, with great music played by members of the Berliner Philharmoniker. Afterwards, we will celebrate the anniversary together in the foyer.

Philharmonic Discourse “The USA before the election”‒ Ingo Zamperoni and Annika Brockschmidt in conversation with Christiane Florin

Presidential elections will be held in the United States at the beginning of November. Incumbent Joe Biden wants to run again for the Democrats. The Republicans are likely to send former President Donald Trump into the race, although he still has to face a number of court cases before election day. What does the election of one or the other mean for Germany and the world? Deutschlandfunk journalist Christiane Florin discusses this with author Annika Brockschmidt and Ingo Zamperoni. The ARD Tagesthemen presenter lived in the USA for many years and is a recognised expert on American politics.

Matinée of the Friends of the Berliner Philharmoniker e. V. “Music must enchant” ‒ A Maurice Ravel matinée

A Maurice Ravel matinéeHe is perhaps the most popular French composers: Maurice Ravel. Who doesn't know his Bolero, which presents a huge upward curve based on a distinct drum rhythm? The music always stays in time, as precise as a clockwork, but with its constantly expanding instrumentation and growing dynamics, it can either put us in a trance or ecstasy. It was not only with this work that Ravel achieved a real stroke of genius. This composer also allows us to dream nostalgically of times gone by and the paradise of childhood. With him, we can also look to the future and into other genres, as Ravel was one of the first to make jazz acceptable in classical music. On his 150th birthday, which the music world will celebrate on 7 March 2025, we want to honour Maurice Ravel with a musical and literary matinee that will take you through his life and present some of his most original chamber music works.

Wiener Salon - Kammermusik von Alma Mahler und Zeitgenossinnen

A Viennese music salon at the turn of the 20th century, perhaps Berta Zuckerkandl's, where Alma and Gustav Mahler first met. Some of Alma Mahler's 16 surviving songs will be heard. Mathilde Kralik von Meyrswalden, 20 years older, studied with Mahler. Evelyn Faltis, sharing Alma's Wagner enthusiasm, arrived in Vienna in 1905. Her sensual music is comparable to Richard Strauss's.

A Night at the Opera

»I love the opera!« – says clarinettist and Hamburg resident Sabine Grofmeier. With this Hamburg serenade concert, she wants to share her love and passion for this unique genre with her audience. Guest artists on stage will be tenor Mehrzad Montazeri and pianist Marina Komissartchik, who also lives in Hamburg. Fantastic arias for clarinet, tenor and piano will be performed, newly arranged by and with clarinettist Sabine Grofmeier and accompanied on the piano by Marina Komissartchik as a chamber music trio.

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic Piano Night

Few other musicians have shaped the Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic series as much as pianists Michael Wollny, iiro Rantala and Leszek Możdżer. The three played the legendary opening concert of the series in 2012 and have appeared time and again in recent years with memorable performances. In this concert, they are joined by pianist Grégory Privat from Martinique. The artists, who are very different in character and temperament, are united by their roots in classical music. And so we can look forward to an evening in which the four pianists combine classical music, jazz and Caribbean flair to create a very special sound world.