Classical concerts featuring

Jakub Hrůša

Jakub Hrůša, Seong-Jin Cho

»To play without passion is unforgivable.« Beethoven famously said – and under the spirited conducting of Jakub Hrůša, emotionally moving concerts happen regularly. In this programme, we delve into the depths of two moving pieces: We start with Beethoven’s last piano concerto, with which he opened the door wide for the incipient Romantic period. He wrote this popular masterpiece at a time of unfavourable circumstances, when Vienna was occupied by the Napoleonic troops. It was premiered in 1811 and features revolutionary, upbeat passages as well as a rich variety of complex emotions. As soloist we welcome the young South Korean artist Seong-Jin Cho, one of the most remarkable pianists of his generation. Our Chief Conductor is always in his element with Martinů’s colourful pieces. He has loved the visionary power of this composer since his childhood and is now President of the International Martinů Circle. The composer was an exceptionally prolific man – and with the Symphony No. 4 we are interpreting one of his impressive instrumental masterpieces: it was written in exile in America in 1945 and reflects his joy over the end of the war as well as his longing for his homeland with folkloristic episodes. Martinů’s Fourth is one of those fascinating pieces that fulfils what Jakub Hrůša once said about the appeal of his Czech compatriot: »It’s wonderful to play Martinů. He is one of those composers who speak directly to everyone – musicians and audience alike. As soon as you put his music on the programme, it’s a success.«

Hrůša conducts Beethoven and Shostakovich

The Year 1905: Shostakovich’s monumental symphony meets Beethoven at his brightest. Unchained energy from conductor Jakub Hrůša, pianist Jonathan Biss and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Public moderated rehearsal

»Listen carefully to all folk songs! They are a treasure trove of the most beautiful melodies and open your eyes to the nature of different cultures.« Robert Schumann once noted these wise words in his collection of »Musical House and Life Rules« – and Jakub Hrůša loves to rummage through the various treasure chests of late Romanticism with its manifold folkloristic styles. He constantly includes pieces by his beloved composer Dvořák on the programme – even the lesser-known ones, as he sees him as an artist »who is always interesting, in every work«. And so we now have the rarely performed »Heldenlied« to discover: a tone poem from 1898, which grippingly revolves around different moods from happiness to sorrow. For fans of sophisticated melodic works, we conclude with a large load of these: the Symphony No. 5 by Martinů, one of Jakub Hrůša’s favourite composers, revels in his typical soundscapes – with a rich array of colours, yearning parts, pulsating rhythms and hymn-like pathos.

Bamberger Symphoniker

Experience a guaranteed sound rush when the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and Ray Chen tackle Tchaikovsky's luscious Violin Concerto. The top violinist presents himself as always both virtuosic and approachable. Ray Chen, also a social media star, believes musicians should be ambassadors for their art, making classical music accessible through entertaining videos and flawless performances.

Jakub Hrůša, Ray Chen

»Listen carefully to all folk songs! They are a treasure trove of the most beautiful melodies and open your eyes to the nature of different cultures.« Robert Schumann once noted these wise words in his collection of »Musical House and Life Rules« – and Jakub Hrůša loves to rummage through the various treasure chests of late Romanticism with its manifold folkloristic styles. He constantly includes pieces by his beloved composer Dvořák on the programme – even the lesser-known ones, as he sees him as an artist »who is always interesting, in every work«. And so we now have the rarely performed »Heldenlied« to discover: a tone poem from 1898, which grippingly revolves around different moods from happiness to sorrow. For one of the most famous violin concertos from 1878, which we have long had on our wish list, we welcome Ray Chen, a gifted virtuoso: he loves playing with us and can now immerse himself in the emotions alongside our orchestra – because the often emotionally fragile Tchaikovsky always wanted to express »all the agony and ecstasy of love« in his music. For fans of sophisticated melodic works, we conclude with a large load of these: the Symphony No. 5 by Martinů, one of Jakub Hrůša’s favourite composers, revels in his typical soundscapes – with a rich array of colours, yearning parts, pulsating rhythms and hymn-like pathos.

Jakub Hrůša, Jan Bartoš

Fascinating expedition: Thanks to Jakub Hrůša, we and our audience regularly get to enjoy gems from the rich treasure trove of Bohemian music repertoire. He loves to bring the stories to the stage that the composers from there have set to music so ingeniously. Smetana in particular was a master of symphonic poems, and in this programme we play no fewer than three of them. They were all composed decades before his famous cycle »Má vlast« and are far too rarely heard in Germany. Based on literature by Shakespeare, Schiller and Adam Oehlenschläger, they revolve around different characters: »Richard III«, »Wallenstein’s Camp« and »Haakon Jarl«. They were inspired around 1860 by an encounter with Franz Liszt – who once praised Smetana with the words: »Here you have the composer with the true Bohemian heart, the artist gifted by God.« To set the mood for these dazzling tone poems, we also present two richly nuanced works: firstly Stravinsky’s magnificent wind symphonies, in his words a »ceremony in which different groups meet in short litany-like dialogues«. Our Chief Conductor has chosen these pieces, first performed in 1921, because he loves the sound of our wind section so much – and is thus able to present them in a perfect light. There is also a work from the pen of the Czech modernist composer that Jakub Hrůša has long been fond of and therefore always wants to draw attention to: together with the accomplished pianist Jan Bartoš, we will perform Martinů's imaginative fifth and final piano concerto from 1958 – a charming example of the emotional power of his music.

Seong-Jin Cho performs Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto

Aleady as a child, artist in Residence Seong-Jin Cho was impressed by “the brilliant and dramatic expression” of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5. His view has since evolved, he says: “This music is not only fiery, but also lyrical, deep and broad”. He will perform the work with Jakub Hrůša, chief conductor of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. The Concerto for Orchestra, which shifts between melancholy and joie de vivre, is also one of Béla Bartók’s most popular works. Leoš Janáček’s folk suite from the opera Osud (Fate), on the other hand, is a rarely performed.

Seong-Jin Cho performs Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto

Aleady as a child, artist in Residence Seong-Jin Cho was impressed by “the brilliant and dramatic expression” of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5. His view has since evolved, he says: “This music is not only fiery, but also lyrical, deep and broad”. He will perform the work with Jakub Hrůša, chief conductor of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. The Concerto for Orchestra, which shifts between melancholy and joie de vivre, is also one of Béla Bartók’s most popular works. Leoš Janáček’s folk suite from the opera Osud (Fate), on the other hand, is a rarely performed.

Seong-Jin Cho performs Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto

Aleady as a child, artist in Residence Seong-Jin Cho was impressed by “the brilliant and dramatic expression” of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5. His view has since evolved, he says: “This music is not only fiery, but also lyrical, deep and broad”. He will perform the work with Jakub Hrůša, chief conductor of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. The Concerto for Orchestra, which shifts between melancholy and joie de vivre, is also one of Béla Bartók’s most popular works. Leoš Janáček’s folk suite from the opera Osud (Fate), on the other hand, is a rarely performed.

Jakub Hrůša, Konstantin Krimmel

»Mahler is a must!« That was absolutely clear to Jakub Hrůša when our journey together began in 2016 – as his late Romantic music is »genetically very close« to both him and ourselves. We have already performed five of his symphonies together in recent years. This programme includes the enchanting »Blumine« movement, which Mahler erased from his autobiographical first symphony and described himself as a »blissful infatuation«: he wrote it in 1884 as a young conductor when he had a crush on a soprano. However, his affection was not returned – and a year later, the »Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen« (»Songs of a Travelling Companion«) emerged from his emotional misery. Together with Konstantin Krimmel, we embark on the restless wanderings of the lovesick artist. After that we say: Not only Mahler is a must. For some time now, Jakub Hrůša has also been working more intensively on Bruckner, as he has recognised that only an orchestra that »really loves this music enough« will be able to make it work. He described the phase in which we immersed ourselves in the Symphony No. 4 in the 2018/2019 season as a »blissful experience with Bruckner« – and it was deepened even further: In the 2020 pandemic, we recorded our Chief Conductor’s personal take on all three versions of the work for a phenomenal and award-winning recording. In this programme, the »Romantic« is performed in the 1878/1880 version – first in Bamberg, as is traditional, of course. Then we will once again become »travelling companions« ourselves and present the works in two of the best halls in Europe: in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and (for the 10th time already!) in Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie – where we have come to love and appreciate the inspiring acoustics.

Jakub Hrůša & Bamberger Symphoniker: Mahler & Bruckner

The Concertgebouw’s famous Main Hall is one of the best concert halls in the world, well-known for its exceptional acoustics and special atmosphere. In the Main Hall, you will feel history. Here, Gustav Mahler conducted his own compositions, as did Richard Strauss and Igor Stravinsky. Sergei Rachmaninoff played his own piano concertos in the Main Hall. This is also where musicians such as Leonard Bernstein, Vladimir Horowitz and Yehudi Menuhin gave legendary performances. Right up to now, the Main Hall offers a stage to the world’s best orchestras and musicians. Buy your tickets now and experience the magic of the Main Hall for yourself!

On Tour: Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

»Mahler is a must!« That was absolutely clear to Jakub Hrůša when our journey together began in 2016 – as his late Romantic music is »genetically very close« to both him and ourselves. We have already performed five of his symphonies together in recent years. This programme includes the enchanting »Blumine« movement, which Mahler erased from his autobiographical first symphony and described himself as a »blissful infatuation«: he wrote it in 1884 as a young conductor when he had a crush on a soprano. However, his affection was not returned – and a year later, the »Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen« (»Songs of a Travelling Companion«) emerged from his emotional misery. Together with Konstantin Krimmel, we embark on the restless wanderings of the lovesick artist. After that we say: Not only Mahler is a must. For some time now, Jakub Hrůša has also been working more intensively on Bruckner, as he has recognised that only an orchestra that »really loves this music enough« will be able to make it work. He described the phase in which we immersed ourselves in the Symphony No. 4 in the 2018/2019 season as a »blissful experience with Bruckner« – and it was deepened even further: In the 2020 pandemic, we recorded our Chief Conductor’s personal take on all three versions of the work for a phenomenal and award-winning recording. In this programme, the »Romantic« is performed in the 1878/1880 version – first in Bamberg, as is traditional, of course. Then we will once again become »travelling companions« ourselves and present the works in two of the best halls in Europe: in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and (for the 10th time already!) in Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie – where we have come to love and appreciate the inspiring acoustics.

Easter Festival Baden-Baden 2025

Jakub Hrůša, Bomsori Kim

»I love surprises and breaking with conventions, as long as they are subtle.« When it comes to developing dramaturgically sophisticated concert programmes, Jakub Hrůša always proves to be a creative mind and also enjoys experimenting. He is now combining two deeply profound musical creations: Charles Ives’ famous work from 1908 revolves around the question of existence. It ultimately remains unanswered in the room, and the magical piece ends on the exact same note with which Shostakovich»s Symphony No. 11 begins – so that the two compositions merge into one another impressively in our concert. The gripping symphony is subtitled »The Year 1905« and refers to the »St Petersburg Bloody Sunday« — but the work also reflects the just as tragic events of 1957 when it was written. Our Chief Conductor has selected the violin concerto by a composer who originated from his home town of Brno and had to seek refuge in exile in America: Korngold kept his head above water there by writing film music, which left traces in his violin concerto – for which we welcome Bomsori Kim as soloist. An exciting programme full of mesmerising undertow that is thought-provoking but also goes straight to the heart – especially through the conducting of Jakub Hrůša, who said of his favourite recipe: »It is important to find a balance in which you create with emotional charge and at the same time respect the craft. That’s when the best moments happen. And when the audience engages in this kind of valuable interaction, nothing stands in the way of happiness.«

Jakub Hrůša, Bomsori Kim

With nearly 7500 concerts in more than 500 cities and 64 countries, the Bamberg Symphony regularly tours the USA, South America and Asia as cultural diplomats for Bavaria and all of Germany. Our guest appearances in Asia in particular have a long-standing tradition: the first trip to China took place in 1986, followed by a tour to Taiwan in 1990. In Japan, we have already played a total of 125 concerts on 15 tours. This year, we are travelling to Japan, Korea and Taiwan again, where in the spring of 2023 we celebrated sensational success in front of sold-out halls. However, as a travelling orchestra, we are particularly committed to minimising the environmental impact of our tours and guest performances. For this reason, our travel planning in the current season also includes several residencies with more than one concert in one place. In Taiwan and Korea, we will again stay a few days longer to present education projects on location. We are compensating for our carbon footprint with climate protection projects that have a local impact and a positive side effect on society and the environment. As we did in 2023, we will be supporting a reforestation project in Seoul.

Bamberger Symphoniker in Munich

Gewandhausorchester, Jakub Hrůša Dirigent

The most valuable prize in music competitions is always the amazed and participating audience. This was no different 75 years ago, when the Bach world commemorated the 200th anniversary of the composer's death and the Bach Competition was held for the first time in Leipzig, the site of the central celebrations. Brahms, a connoisseur and admirer of Bach's music, paid homage to it in various ways. Honegger's Symphony No. 2, written during the occupation of Paris in 1941, reflects the composer's distress over the world war. The finale, infused with Bach-like polyphony, culminates in a trumpet fanfare and a chorale melody radiating hope and reconciliation.