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»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.

»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.

A concert with impressive string quartets – because our orchestra members love to regularly step out of the big orchestra apparatus and work intensively on works close to their hearts as chamber musicians. And the first one is a real piece of work, according to contemporaries even »as incomprehensible as Chinese«, to which the composer rumbled the words »Cattle! Donkeys!«: Beethoven’s magnificent fugue op. 133 – a highly unique late work from 1825 that goes to the limits of what was possible, with monumental architectural structures and, despite some friendly tunes, with enormous inner tensions. One of the pieces to be rediscovered in this programme comes from the beloved homeland of our concertmaster: Ilian Garnetz grew up in a creative environment – and was awarded the title of »Artist of the Moldavian People« as a music mediator and representative of his country. Now, together with his fellow musicians, he would like to introduce the Bamberg audience to the fourth string quartet by his former violin professor and composer Boris Dubosarschi. It was influenced by the work of Shostakovich – with which the concert ends on a stirring note: His string quartet No. 8 was composed in 1960, during which he reflected on the destruction of the city of Dresden during the war in 1945. It expresses his shock at this and was published »in memory of the victims« of that time. However, Shostakovich felt that this subjective work of confession with its own quotations from his pieces could also be dedicated to his own commemoration – and also mentioned that it was »of such a pseudo-tragic nature that I shed many tears while composing it.«

The things you find when cleaning ... the »Rheinische«? Sounds like an insurance policy. But it’s music by Robert Schumann. And he actually composed it standing up – at a table. Perhaps so that he could dance better? Cleaner and professional polisher Malte will make your ears sparkle. You are in for lively sounds and incredible stories with all the highs and lows from the lives of Clara and Robert Schumann. Guaranteed to be cheerfully dust-free!

»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.

Remarkable leaps and bounds for the chamber music playing that our orchestra members love: Borodin was actually a full-time chemist and physician, but his passion for music constantly rekindled, including from 1859 in Heidelberg – where he composed his romantic string sextet in D minor. Some time later, he returned to Russia and the work was lost. It did not turn up for almost 100 years until it was finally discovered in an antiquarian bookshop. And it may still be missing something, as it consists of just two movements – one of which seems to shimmer like Mendelssohn’s »Midsummer Night’s Dream« and the other is laced with folk songs from Borodin's homeland. Dvořák’s sextet, premiered in 1879, also bubbles along folkloristically, which has to do with its chronological proximity to his famous »Slavonic Dances« and emphasises his image as a »Bohemian musician«. Although this was only one aspect of his multifaceted personality, Dvořák loved the cheerful and colourful environment around him, where people liked to celebrate festivals. His work quickly became one of the classics of the genre – and also inspired Schönberg to write his string sextet »Verklärte Nacht« in 1899. It is based on a poem by Richard Dehmel, saying: »There is a glow around everything, you drift with me across a cold sea, but a warmth of your own flickers from you into me, from me into you.« Schönberg found a poetic voice here that reflected his aesthetic stance – and an impressive love story that defied the moral standards of the time. He created a late romantic musical world for this – and the composition is one of his most popular pieces of chamber music today.

Techno in the concert hall – what may seem odd at first glance turns out to be an innovative blend on closer listening. Pianist and producer Francesco Tristano, a Juillard graduate and bridge builder between classical and popular music, has worked with conductor Dzijan Emin to devise a concept that skilfully blurs the barriers between the genres. In an atmospheric concert experience, the familiar sound of a classical symphony orchestra blends with the avantgarde textures, sounds and rhythms of electronic music. And when the timeless works of Johann Sebastian Bach flow into the intricately woven compositions of Dzijan Emin and Francesco Tristano over the course of the evening, the gap between the musical worlds suddenly no longer seems so wide. At the climax of the concert evening, the electronic setup takes centre stage: in a new version of Francesco Tristano’s piano concerto, the dynamic interaction of the classical orchestra sound and electronic music reaches new heights. It finally culminates in the techno anthem »Strings of Life«, composed in the heart of Detroit, which has lost none of its expressive power even after almost 40 years.

»My career feels a bit like the history of conducting: from a standing violinist to concertmaster and eventually with just a baton in my hand.« Andrew Manze was a celebrated baroque violinist in the early music scene for a long time, then decided in favour of the conductor’s podium – and is now also passionately immersing himself in the great romantic scores. He fell in love with music and his current profession at an early age: as a child, he simply plucked a branch from his parents’ garden and swung it to symphonies from the radio. Today, our guest conductor is known as a creative free spirit and exudes a lot of British charm. We are pleased that he is once again conducting one of his favourite programmes with us: Grieg wrote his famous piano concerto in 1868 as a newlywed – a very vivacious piece with memorable melodies and typical Norwegian rhythms, for which we welcome the young artist Lukas Sternath as soloist. There is also the colourful and compelling work »Transit Underground« by Swedish composer Tobias Broström, born in 1978. We will conclude with Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5, which he began in the middle of the First World War. It nevertheless carries a largely optimistic tone in a sea full of superb soundscapes – including the »swan theme«, sounding like film music. It will be a thrilling musical experience with Andrew Manze, because his overflowing joy in the compositions is inspiring and his impulses spark new ways of playing – and when everything works together in harmony, he is happy: »For me, the act of making music is everything. I love the magic when musicians come together, think about music and then something fantastic emerges.«

»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.«

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.