Classical concerts featuring

Gürzenich-Orchester Köln

Eye and ear

On a single whiplash, the door opens to a world of colours and light: Maurice Ravel’s piano concerto in G Major is fascinating from the very first note. Basque folklore, sounds from Spain and southern France, crystalline sparkle, and elegant jazz – musical notes become images, some tender and fluffy, others rich and bright. Ravel’s compatriot, French pianist Bertrand Chamayou, seems completely in his element in this dazzling bravura piece. The other two works are equally sensual to the eye and the ear: In his Ballet Gayaneh, Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian lets the sparks fly, including a fiery sabre dance. Modest Mussorgsky invites us to a vernissage where he paces from painting to painting, creatively turning each of them into sounds.

Eye and ear

On a single whiplash, the door opens to a world of colours and light: Maurice Ravel’s piano concerto in G Major is fascinating from the very first note. Basque folklore, sounds from Spain and southern France, crystalline sparkle, and elegant jazz – musical notes become images, some tender and fluffy, others rich and bright. Ravel’s compatriot, French pianist Bertrand Chamayou, seems completely in his element in this dazzling bravura piece. The other two works are equally sensual to the eye and the ear: In his Ballet Gayaneh, Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian lets the sparks fly, including a fiery sabre dance. Modest Mussorgsky invites us to a vernissage where he paces from painting to painting, creatively turning each of them into sounds.

Eye and ear

On a single whiplash, the door opens to a world of colours and light: Maurice Ravel’s piano concerto in G Major is fascinating from the very first note. Basque folklore, sounds from Spain and southern France, crystalline sparkle, and elegant jazz – musical notes become images, some tender and fluffy, others rich and bright. Ravel’s compatriot, French pianist Bertrand Chamayou, seems completely in his element in this dazzling bravura piece. The other two works are equally sensual to the eye and the ear: In his Ballet Gayaneh, Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian lets the sparks fly, including a fiery sabre dance. Modest Mussorgsky invites us to a vernissage where he paces from painting to painting, creatively turning each of them into sounds.

Guerst performance Brussels

Carnival

Charlie finds himself in a dilemma: Lou seems to be distancing themselves more and more, showing less interest in spending time together. In an effort to uplift their spirits, Charlie proposes the idea of arranging an "Emotion Carnival". They ponder which emotions induce laughter, provide the most comfort, evoke fear, or cause overwhelming joy. Together, Lou and Charlie embark on a whimsical journey to explore the depths of emotional power, inviting both young and old to join them on a musical expedition into the realm of feelings. Over the span of two months, 300 second-grade students will collaborate on a composition by Thierry Tidrow, inspired by a libretto penned by Pauline Jacob, under the guidance of vocal instructors. The culmination of their efforts will be showcased in two concerts alongside the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne. Just like any carnival, attendees are encouraged to embrace various (emotional) disguises. Note regarding the primary school concert: Interested primary school classes must register to attend the performance at koelner-philharmonie.de/education. Classes 1-4 / Duration approx. 1 hour for free To the family concert Presented by KölnMusik in collaboration with the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne and Philharmonie Luxembourg.

A Carnival of Emotions

Charlie finds himself in a dilemma: Lou seems to be distancing herself more and more, showing less interest in spending time together. In an effort to uplift her spirits, Charlie proposes the idea of arranging an "Emotion Carnival". They ponder which emotions induce laughter, provide the most comfort, evoke fear, or cause overwhelming joy. Together, Lou and Charlie embark on a whimsical journey to explore the depths of emotional power, inviting both young and old to join them on a musical expedition into the realm of feelings. Over the span of two months, 300 second-grade students will collaborate on a composition by Thierry Tidrow, inspired by a libretto penned by Pauline Jacob, under the guidance of vocal instructors. The culmination of their efforts will be showcased in two concerts alongside the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne. Just like any carnival, attendees are encouraged to embrace various (emotional) disguises. For families with children aged 6 and over / Duration approx. 1 hour To the school concert Presented by KölnMusik in collaboration with the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne and Philharmonie Luxembourg.

Last but not least

Towards the end of his eventful life as a composer, Dmitri Shostakovich once again sets out to write a symphony, his fifteenth by now. It is bound to be his last, as the seriously ill Russian is fully aware of. Still, his decision stands: »I would like to write a cheerful symphony.« And indeed, his final symphonic endeavour begins with a twinkle in the eye, mischievously orchestrated. But by the second movement, the mood has already changed, and movement by movement, the score turns into what seems like a musical biography. A painful chorale, moments of eerie trembling, and sharp irony – Shostakovich creates a musical review of his own oeuvre and the horrors of his era. His life as an artist is still marked by panic, even though two decades have gone by since Stalin’s death. Thus it is not surprising that Shostakovich’s sense of humour, essential for survival, keeps drifting towards the grotesque and becomes terrifying. At the end, you can almost hear death itself coming towards you, bones rattling. The fifth and last piano concerto by Ludwig van Beethoven also reflects the political turmoil of the era. No tranquility to compose in early 1809. Instead: the sounds of war, gunfire, and Napoleon just outside of Vienna. Even though the first movement is marked by triumphant pathos, the weighty subtitle Emperor describes but a single facet of this extraordinary piano concerto which includes one of the most heavenly and tender slow movements Beethoven ever wrote: A dream sequence, far from this world, a divine melody that Leonard Bernstein later borrowed for his heart-wrenching Somewhere in the West Side Story. Without further ado, and using the effect of surprise he is known for, Beethoven charges into the finale which features a few innovative particularities: a duet for solo piano and timpani, for example, resembling a distant memory of the drums of war. The Gürzenich Orchestra looks forward to this musical adventure, and to two living legends: Eliahu Inbal as conductor, born 1936 in Jerusalem, and the magnificent Elisabeth Leonskaja at the piano.

Last but not least

Towards the end of his eventful life as a composer, Dmitri Shostakovich once again sets out to write a symphony, his fifteenth by now. It is bound to be his last, as the seriously ill Russian is fully aware of. Still, his decision stands: »I would like to write a cheerful symphony.« And indeed, his final symphonic endeavour begins with a twinkle in the eye, mischievously orchestrated. But by the second movement, the mood has already changed, and movement by movement, the score turns into what seems like a musical biography. A painful chorale, moments of eerie trembling, and sharp irony – Shostakovich creates a musical review of his own oeuvre and the horrors of his era. His life as an artist is still marked by panic, even though two decades have gone by since Stalin’s death. Thus it is not surprising that Shostakovich’s sense of humour, essential for survival, keeps drifting towards the grotesque and becomes terrifying. At the end, you can almost hear death itself coming towards you, bones rattling. The fifth and last piano concerto by Ludwig van Beethoven also reflects the political turmoil of the era. No tranquility to compose in early 1809. Instead: the sounds of war, gunfire, and Napoleon just outside of Vienna. Even though the first movement is marked by triumphant pathos, the weighty subtitle Emperor describes but a single facet of this extraordinary piano concerto which includes one of the most heavenly and tender slow movements Beethoven ever wrote: A dream sequence, far from this world, a divine melody that Leonard Bernstein later borrowed for his heart-wrenching Somewhere in the West Side Story. Without further ado, and using the effect of surprise he is known for, Beethoven charges into the finale which features a few innovative particularities: a duet for solo piano and timpani, for example, resembling a distant memory of the drums of war. The Gürzenich Orchestra looks forward to this musical adventure, and to two living legends: Eliahu Inbal as conductor, born 1936 in Jerusalem, and the magnificent Elisabeth Leonskaja at the piano.

Last but not least

Towards the end of his eventful life as a composer, Dmitri Shostakovich once again sets out to write a symphony, his fifteenth by now. It is bound to be his last, as the seriously ill Russian is fully aware of. Still, his decision stands: »I would like to write a cheerful symphony.« And indeed, his final symphonic endeavour begins with a twinkle in the eye, mischievously orchestrated. But by the second movement, the mood has already changed, and movement by movement, the score turns into what seems like a musical biography. A painful chorale, moments of eerie trembling, and sharp irony – Shostakovich creates a musical review of his own oeuvre and the horrors of his era. His life as an artist is still marked by panic, even though two decades have gone by since Stalin’s death. Thus it is not surprising that Shostakovich’s sense of humour, essential for survival, keeps drifting towards the grotesque and becomes terrifying. At the end, you can almost hear death itself coming towards you, bones rattling. The fifth and last piano concerto by Ludwig van Beethoven also reflects the political turmoil of the era. No tranquility to compose in early 1809. Instead: the sounds of war, gunfire, and Napoleon just outside of Vienna. Even though the first movement is marked by triumphant pathos, the weighty subtitle Emperor describes but a single facet of this extraordinary piano concerto which includes one of the most heavenly and tender slow movements Beethoven ever wrote: A dream sequence, far from this world, a divine melody that Leonard Bernstein later borrowed for his heart-wrenching Somewhere in the West Side Story. Without further ado, and using the effect of surprise he is known for, Beethoven charges into the finale which features a few innovative particularities: a duet for solo piano and timpani, for example, resembling a distant memory of the drums of war. The Gürzenich Orchestra looks forward to this musical adventure, and to two living legends: Eliahu Inbal as conductor, born 1936 in Jerusalem, and the magnificent Elisabeth Leonskaja at the piano.

wounds

Two great Passion settings by Johann Sebastian Bach, the St. Matthew Passion and the St. John Passion, are considered to be among the cornerstones of western music. Another, following the Gospel of Mark, has remained lost to the day. How might it have sounded? Over the past decades, many experts have attempted to reconstruct the St. Mark Passion. While this initially may seem like the search for sunken Atlantis, the philosopher’s stone, or the Holy Grail, from the perspective of musical practice it is actually not so different from what Bach himself did on a regular basis: creative secondary use. Many of his chorales or arias can be spotted more than once in his catalogue of works – usually with a different text and sometimes in an entirely different context. This baroque practice is known as musical parody, and it works both ways: Ton Koopman, one of the world’s foremost Bach performers, decided to start over: In tireless research, he examined works by the great master, trying to find out whether they might serve as musical setting for the words of Mark’s Gospel. Johann Sebastian Bach’s Passions lead us to the core of Christian faith, and to the bleak abysses of all earthly life: desperation, betrayal, cruelty and the fear of death. And yet, underneath everything lies an unwavering trust in God. Ton Koopman’s reconstruction of the St. Mark Passion believably retraces the sufferings of Jesus, from the opening chorus »Geh, Jesu, geh zu deiner Pein« (Go, Jesus, go to Your suffering) all the way to the final chorale in which mourning and pain seem to have been overcome. Now, sung by renowned soloists and the Amsterdam Baroque Choir, the »rebuilt« St. Mark Passion is coming to Cologne, directed by its musical rebuilder, Ton Koopman.

Dear to the heart

Supporting the »wir helfen« (we help) campaign by the newspaper Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger is more than just a tradition upheld by the Gürzenich Orchestra – it is of heartfelt importance. This season, contributing to the initiative for underprivileged children and adolescents in the region, the orchestra will play a passionate concert full of deep emotions. Before giving birth to his second concerto for piano and orchestra, with its endless melodies and sweeping, intense drama, Sergei Rachmaninoff had to fight his way through a deep valley of depression and self-doubt. In the end, hypno-therapy is what helped the Russian composer dissolve his writer’s block. Against all expectations, the concerto was a great success: It offers everything ranging from chamber musical intimacy to symphonic opulence, and demands everything from the soloist, emotionally and technically. No problem for the 24-year-old Russian pianist Alexander Malofeev, a sensational shooting star who has won countless prizes and travels the world. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky described his last symphony, the »Pathétique,« as his best work, as being dear to his heart. He claimed to have put »all his soul« into it. The fact that he died just a few days after the premiere amplifies the impression of someone who condenses all facets of his artistic identity and symphonic oeuvre, and puts them to paper. Yet the musical approach he chooses is absolutely surprising. One would think he might bring his last symphony to a rejoicing and triumphant end, an emphatic summary of his own highly successful career. Instead, Tchaikovsky chooses a melancholy, introspective ending – not so much a real finale as a touching farewell with many open questions, a musical »good bye« which, still today, goes straight to the heart.

Where

The premiere of a new work by Unsuk Chin unfortunately had to be postponed. Instead, we will open the concert with the Adagio for string orchestra by Periklis Koukos. At the end, we will hear »Five Greek dances for string orchestra« by Nikos Skalkottas, replacing his »Four Images« which were originally planned. There is hardly a work that is considered to be so closely connected to the composer’s life as Robert Schumann’s »Rhenish.« This symphony (his third, though chronologically his fourth and last) is euphoric, radiant, energetic, and jubilant. Schumann has packed up all his belongings and moved from Saxony to the cheerful Rhineland. As the new local music director of Düsseldorf, he is welcomed with a special serenade. The new job gives him hope, and the view of the tall cathedral in the neighbouring town of Cologne, a bit further south, is simply overwhelming! Schumann experiences a creative frenzy and composes five symphonic movements full of emphatic joie de vivre, sometimes with an optimistic drive, sometimes carried by smooth waves. Not a single phrase indicates the suicidal thoughts of the same Schumann, three years after the premiere, when he tried to take his life by jumping into the ice-cold Rhine.

Where

The premiere of a new work by Unsuk Chin unfortunately had to be postponed. Instead, we will open the concert with the Adagio for string orchestra by Periklis Koukos. At the end, we will hear »Five Greek dances for string orchestra« by Nikos Skalkottas, replacing his »Four Images« which were originally planned. There is hardly a work that is considered to be so closely connected to the composer’s life as Robert Schumann’s »Rhenish.« This symphony (his third, though chronologically his fourth and last) is euphoric, radiant, energetic, and jubilant. Schumann has packed up all his belongings and moved from Saxony to the cheerful Rhineland. As the new local music director of Düsseldorf, he is welcomed with a special serenade. The new job gives him hope, and the view of the tall cathedral in the neighbouring town of Cologne, a bit further south, is simply overwhelming! Schumann experiences a creative frenzy and composes five symphonic movements full of emphatic joie de vivre, sometimes with an optimistic drive, sometimes carried by smooth waves. Not a single phrase indicates the suicidal thoughts of the same Schumann, three years after the premiere, when he tried to take his life by jumping into the ice-cold Rhine.

Where

The premiere of a new work by Unsuk Chin unfortunately had to be postponed. Instead, we will open the concert with the Adagio for string orchestra by Periklis Koukos. At the end, we will hear »Five Greek dances for string orchestra« by Nikos Skalkottas, replacing his »Four Images« which were originally planned. There is hardly a work that is considered to be so closely connected to the composer’s life as Robert Schumann’s »Rhenish.« This symphony (his third, though chronologically his fourth and last) is euphoric, radiant, energetic, and jubilant. Schumann has packed up all his belongings and moved from Saxony to the cheerful Rhineland. As the new local music director of Düsseldorf, he is welcomed with a special serenade. The new job gives him hope, and the view of the tall cathedral in the neighbouring town of Cologne, a bit further south, is simply overwhelming! Schumann experiences a creative frenzy and composes five symphonic movements full of emphatic joie de vivre, sometimes with an optimistic drive, sometimes carried by smooth waves. Not a single phrase indicates the suicidal thoughts of the same Schumann, three years after the premiere, when he tried to take his life by jumping into the ice-cold Rhine.

La Passion de Simone

Kaija Saariaho's opera "La Passion de Simone" commemorates the French philosopher and mystic Simone Weil. This personal work, which Saariaho considered her musical testament, marks her third collaboration with author Amin Maalouf and director Peter Sellars. The opera, originally premiered in Vienna in 2006, is now presented at the Cologne Opera, directed by newcomer Friederike Blum and conducted by Christian Karlsen. Further performances are scheduled for May 19, 25, 28, and 31, 2025, as a collaboration between the Cologne Opera and the ACHT BRÜCKEN | Musik für Köln festival.

Filmreif - Schulkonzert

Music has the power to influence emotions and create moods, evoking tears, boosting confidence, or giving us goosebumps. Films utilize music to enhance scenes and steer viewers' emotions. The Gürzenich Orchestra's school concert "Filmreif" explores works composed for films and classical pieces often used in movies, demonstrating how music sparks imagination and brings stories to life.

Filmreif - Schulkonzert

Music has the power to influence emotions and create moods, evoking tears, boosting confidence, or giving us goosebumps. Films utilize music to enhance scenes and steer viewers' emotions. The Gürzenich Orchestra's school concert "Filmreif" explores works composed for films and classical pieces often used in movies, demonstrating how music sparks imagination and brings stories to life.

Filmreif - Familienkonzert

Music has the power to influence emotions and create moods, evoking tears, boosting confidence, or giving us goosebumps. Films utilize music to enhance scenes and guide viewers' feelings. The Gürzenich Orchestra's "Filmreif" family concert explores pieces composed for films and classical works often used in cinema, demonstrating how music sparks imagination and brings stories to life.

Über Leben – Sonderkonzert

Über Leben – Sonderkonzert

Fabulous

Werner is head over heels in love with Margareta. And since he is The Trumpeter of Säkkingen, it makes sense to serenade his sweetheart on said instrument: The perfect trigger for Gustav Mahler to become creative and start composing. In 1884, a stage production of the novel about Werner and Margareta is put on at the Hoftheater Kassel, and Gustav Mahler writes the music for it. Out of that, Blumine is the only remaining piece. The rest was destroyed by 24-year-old Mahler who was second Kapellmeister at the time – quality control at its most radical. Since this highly romantic but isolated movement wouldn’t really fit into Mahler’s next major project either, his first symphony, seven decades went by before Blumine was rediscovered: Pure, nearly unclouded beauty by Mahler, and with a trumpet solo to melt your heart. Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Boy’s Magic Horn) is a collection of texts that always remained a source of inspiration for Gustav Mahler, and a point of focus in his musical thinking. The joy and suffering of love, life as a soldier, death and its gruesomeness: The Gürzenich Orchestra is once more looking forward to welcoming renowned mezzo soprano Anna Lucia Richter from Cologne who will perform songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Surely, what is nowadays referred to as Franz Schubert’s »small« C Major symphony must have felt quite »great« to the barely 21-year-old composer: The orchestra is generously staffed for the time (1818), and the wind section finds itself on the strong side of an emancipatory boost, having rarely been this prominently featured in a symphony. The young gentleman skillfully puts to use the achievements made by his Viennese role models Haydn and Beethoven – he even composes a bold scherzo which would certainly have pleased the great Ludwig. Still, Schubert tells his very own symphonic story which is far from being laden with pathos but instead defies gravity in a unique, somnambulistic way. Simply fabulous!

Bock auf Klassik?!

Fabulous

Werner is head over heels in love with Margareta. And since he is The Trumpeter of Säkkingen, it makes sense to serenade his sweetheart on said instrument: The perfect trigger for Gustav Mahler to become creative and start composing. In 1884, a stage production of the novel about Werner and Margareta is put on at the Hoftheater Kassel, and Gustav Mahler writes the music for it. Out of that, Blumine is the only remaining piece. The rest was destroyed by 24-year-old Mahler who was second Kapellmeister at the time – quality control at its most radical. Since this highly romantic but isolated movement wouldn’t really fit into Mahler’s next major project either, his first symphony, seven decades went by before Blumine was rediscovered: Pure, nearly unclouded beauty by Mahler, and with a trumpet solo to melt your heart. Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Boy’s Magic Horn) is a collection of texts that always remained a source of inspiration for Gustav Mahler, and a point of focus in his musical thinking. The joy and suffering of love, life as a soldier, death and its gruesomeness: The Gürzenich Orchestra is once more looking forward to welcoming renowned mezzo soprano Anna Lucia Richter from Cologne who will perform songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Surely, what is nowadays referred to as Franz Schubert’s »small« C Major symphony must have felt quite »great« to the barely 21-year-old composer: The orchestra is generously staffed for the time (1818), and the wind section finds itself on the strong side of an emancipatory boost, having rarely been this prominently featured in a symphony. The young gentleman skillfully puts to use the achievements made by his Viennese role models Haydn and Beethoven – he even composes a bold scherzo which would certainly have pleased the great Ludwig. Still, Schubert tells his very own symphonic story which is far from being laden with pathos but instead defies gravity in a unique, somnambulistic way. Simply fabulous!

Heavenwards

Admission is free (without access card). Towards the end of his life, Giuseppe Verdi, likely the most significant Italian opera specialist, returns to his artistic roots: church music. His four sacred pieces (Quattro pezzi sacri) seem to be striving towards heaven like pillars in a Gothic cathedral. The Ave Maria, sung a cappella, the stirring and painful Stabat Mater, and last but not least, the Te Deum, a hymn of praise in a voluminous, ceremonious setting for double chorus, solo soprano and orchestra: All this is unmistakably Verdi, expert in theatrics and master of musical effects. 100 years before Verdi, another theatre magician turned the church into a big stage: Like many of his works, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Mass in C minor is luminous and magnificent, and at the same time enigmatic and deeply mysterious. To this day, it is not clear why Mozart set to work on this monumental profession of faith: Was he honouring the vow he had made when he married his beloved Constanze Weber in the same year he wrote the mass? Or was it simply the expression of his very own personal spirituality? And what’s more: Why did the composition remain unfinished, just like the Requiem nine years later? What makes the C minor Mass so touching to the day is the immediacy of the emotions and feelings that are conveyed. And when the soprano spins her seemingly endless melodies in the famous aria »Et incarnatus est«, it feels as though the music opens the gates to heaven. A classic Mozart moment.

Sinfonischer Kehraus

A one-day festival featuring three concerts, a gift to the citizens of Cologne. Renaissance music meets 20th-century compositions. Parisian refinement blends with Broadway rhythms in iconic works by Ravel, Debussy, and Gershwin. World-class soloists like Jean-Guihen Queyras, Kirill Gerstein, and the Quatuor Diotima, led by Oskar Jockel, promise brilliance and passion.

Sinfonischer Kehraus

A one-day festival featuring three concerts, a gift to the citizens of Cologne. Renaissance music meets 20th-century compositions. Parisian elegance of Ravel, Debussy, and Gershwin blends with Broadway rhythms. World-class soloists like Jean-Guihen Queyras, Kirill Gerstein, and Quatuor Diotima, led by Oskar Jockel, deliver brilliance.