Classical concerts featuring

Kirill Petrenko

Kirill Petrenko and Frank Peter Zimmermann

What Jean Sibelius is to Finland, Edward Elgar is to England: both composers gave their country its own national musical language. With his Lemminkäinen Suite, Sibelius transports us to the world of Finnish legends. He tells of the adventures of a young, high-spirited hero in music that is as impassioned as it is sincere. Edward Elgar’s violin concerto reflects the values of Victorian England – profound, romantic, noble. The violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, widely acclaimed for his selfless musicality, performs the concerto under the direction of Kirill Petrenko.

Kirill Petrenko and Frank Peter Zimmermann

What Jean Sibelius is to Finland, Edward Elgar is to England: both composers gave their country its own national musical language. With his Lemminkäinen Suite, Sibelius transports us to the world of Finnish legends. He tells of the adventures of a young, high-spirited hero in music that is as impassioned as it is sincere. Edward Elgar’s violin concerto reflects the values of Victorian England – profound, romantic, noble. The violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, widely acclaimed for his selfless musicality, performs the concerto under the direction of Kirill Petrenko.

Kirill Petrenko and Frank Peter Zimmermann

What Jean Sibelius is to Finland, Edward Elgar is to England: both composers gave their country its own national musical language. With his Lemminkäinen Suite, Sibelius transports us to the world of Finnish legends. He tells of the adventures of a young, high-spirited hero in music that is as impassioned as it is sincere. Edward Elgar’s violin concerto reflects the values of Victorian England – profound, romantic, noble. The violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, widely acclaimed for his selfless musicality, performs the concerto under the direction of Kirill Petrenko.

Kirill Petrenko conducts the German premiere of Srnka’s “Superorganisms”

Under the title Paradise lost? On the Threat to Nature, the Berliner Philharmoniker and chief conductor Kirill Petrenko open their third Biennale. One work that ideally reflects the theme is Beethoven’s “Pastoral”, which exuberantly celebrates the beauty of country life. However, the idyll proves to be fragile and is swept away by an apocalyptic storm. Miroslav Srnka’s work Superorganisms, heard here in its German premiere, embodies a completely different kind of natural phenomenon. It depicts life forms that can only exist in a community in a fascinating way. The concert opens with Arcana, by Edgard Varèse; The title refers to 16th-century alchemist and astrologer Paracelsus, who sought universal knowledge, and believed that the stars could help understand human healing.

Kirill Petrenko conducts the German premiere of Srnka’s “Superorganisms”

Under the title Paradise lost? On the Threat to Nature, the Berliner Philharmoniker and chief conductor Kirill Petrenko open their third Biennale. One work that ideally reflects the theme is Beethoven’s “Pastoral”, which exuberantly celebrates the beauty of country life. However, the idyll proves to be fragile and is swept away by an apocalyptic storm. Miroslav Srnka’s work Superorganisms, heard here in its German premiere, embodies a completely different kind of natural phenomenon. It depicts life forms that can only exist in a community in a fascinating way. The concert opens with Arcana, by Edgard Varèse; The title refers to 16th-century alchemist and astrologer Paracelsus, who sought universal knowledge, and believed that the stars could help understand human healing.

Kirill Petrenko conducts the German premiere of Srnka’s “Superorganisms”

Under the title Paradise lost? On the Threat to Nature, the Berliner Philharmoniker and chief conductor Kirill Petrenko open their third Biennale. One work that ideally reflects the theme is Beethoven’s “Pastoral”, which exuberantly celebrates the beauty of country life. However, the idyll proves to be fragile and is swept away by an apocalyptic storm. Miroslav Srnka’s work Superorganisms, heard here in its German premiere, embodies a completely different kind of natural phenomenon. It depicts life forms that can only exist in a community in a fascinating way. The concert opens with Arcana, by Edgard Varèse; The title refers to 16th-century alchemist and astrologer Paracelsus, who sought universal knowledge, and believed that the stars could help understand human healing.

Family concert of the Biennale “Pastorale”

In this series, the Berliner Philharmoniker and guests spark enthusiasm for classical music and take a closer look at the art of composing. In moderated concerts, they demonstrate the sound colours of the instruments or show how nature can sound.

Easter Festival Baden-Baden 2025

Easter Festival Baden-Baden 2025

Easter Festival Baden-Baden 2025

Easter Festival Baden-Baden 2025

Easter Festival Baden-Baden 2025

Concertante: Kirill Petrenko with Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly”

For her it is true love, for him just an affair. Giacomo Puccini transformed John Luther Long’s 1898 story of teenaged geisha Cio-Cio-San and cavalier American naval lieutenant Pinkerton into one of the most popular operas of all time – and a commentary on colonialism that remains ripe for re-examination. His music reflects both the orientalism of his time and the sentimentality of late verismo. After leading staged performances in Baden-Baden, Kirill Petrenko presents Madama Butterfly in concert to the Berlin public. The title role will be sung by Eleonora Buratto, who was celebrated for her performance of this part at the New York’s Metropolitan Opera. Star tenor Jonathan Tetelman takes the role of Pinkerton.

Concertante: Kirill Petrenko with Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly”

For her it is true love, for him just an affair. Giacomo Puccini transformed John Luther Long’s 1898 story of teenaged geisha Cio-Cio-San and cavalier American naval lieutenant Pinkerton into one of the most popular operas of all time – and a commentary on colonialism that remains ripe for re-examination. His music reflects both the orientalism of his time and the sentimentality of late verismo. After leading staged performances in Baden-Baden, Kirill Petrenko presents Madama Butterfly in concert to the Berlin public. The title role will be sung by Eleonora Buratto, who was celebrated for her performance of this part at the New York’s Metropolitan Opera. Star tenor Jonathan Tetelman takes the role of Pinkerton.

Kirill Petrenko with Mahler’s Ninth

The Ninth Symphony is Gustav Mahler’s last completed work – an expressive farewell and at the same time a visionary anticipation of musical modernism. Since Mahler did not live to see the premiere of his Ninth, he could not complete his customary final revisions of the instrumental balance. “This provides a special challenge for all those who interpret this musical testament when examining the musical text,” says Kirill Petrenko. He is joined in this delicate task by the Berliner Philharmoniker.

Kirill Petrenko with Mahler’s Ninth

The Ninth Symphony is Gustav Mahler’s last completed work – an expressive farewell and at the same time a visionary anticipation of musical modernism. Since Mahler did not live to see the premiere of his Ninth, he could not complete his customary final revisions of the instrumental balance. “This provides a special challenge for all those who interpret this musical testament when examining the musical text,” says Kirill Petrenko. He is joined in this delicate task by the Berliner Philharmoniker.

Mahler Festival: Kirill Petrenko and the Berliner Philharmoniker: Symphony No. 9

One of the world's most legendary orchestras, the Berliner Philharmoniker, has been led by Kirill Petrenko for several years. Upon his appointment, Die Welt called him 'the world's most unknown famous conductor'. Petrenko hardly ever gives interviews, so he can totally focus on the music. Today, that music comes from a man who once also conducted the Berliner Philharmoniker: Gustav Mahler. You will hear the Ninth Symphony.'Youth gone, love blown away', Mahler noted in the score of his Ninth Symphony. Like no other work in his 'small family' of symphonies, the Ninth treats extremes. It is a farewell to life, but at the same time an ode to its beauty. Presence, absence, even of sounds: Mahler plays with them, with picture-perfect results. Sometimes called the 'completion of Romanticism', the symphony was the last one Mahler would complete.

Guest performance Brussels Kirill Petrenko with Mahler’s Ninth

The Ninth Symphony is Gustav Mahler’s last completed work – an expressive farewell and at the same time a visionary anticipation of musical modernism. Since Mahler did not live to see the premiere of his Ninth, he could not complete his customary final revisions of the instrumental balance. “This provides a special challenge for all those who interpret this musical testament when examining the musical text,” says Kirill Petrenko. He is joined in this delicate task by the Berliner Philharmoniker.

Berliner Philharmoniker | Kirill Petrenko

While composing his Ninth Symphony, Gustav Mahler declared, "I am thirstier for life than ever." The Berlin Philharmonic, under Kirill Petrenko, explores this tension-filled work. Despite moments of defiance, rawness, and humor, the grand apotheotic breakthroughs of earlier symphonies fade. The sound becomes increasingly gentle, transparent, and finally dissolves into peaceful acceptance.

Guest performance Kirill Petrenko with Mahler’s Ninth

The Ninth Symphony is Gustav Mahler’s last completed work – an expressive farewell and at the same time a visionary anticipation of musical modernism. Since Mahler did not live to see the premiere of his Ninth, he could not complete his customary final revisions of the instrumental balance. “This provides a special challenge for all those who interpret this musical testament when examining the musical text,” says Kirill Petrenko. He is joined in this delicate task by the Berliner Philharmoniker.

Kirill Petrenko Berliner Philharmoniker

Kirill Petrenko, chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic since 2019/20, directs Mahler's 9th Symphony in Essen. Born in Omsk, Petrenko strives for a unique orchestral sound, evident in his interpretation of Mahler's final completed work, a magical piece bridging Romantic and modern eras.