Composer

The third day of the Baltic Sea Festival opens with a vibrant musical gathering as musicians from the Czech Philharmonic and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra meet in the Queen Silvia Concert Hall. Together they highlight two chamber music masterpieces from their respective homelands: Antonín Dvořák’s warmly lyrical and irresistibly melodic Serenade for Strings — deeply rooted in Czech folklore — and Franz Berwald’s charmingly idiosyncratic Grand Septuor, a work that carries traces of Swedish musical identity in its most inventive form. A meeting of traditions, sound worlds, and musical roots.

Berwald’s septet and Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings

Queen Silvia Concert Hall

This fascinating program begins with Julian Bliss (whose performances have been called “immaculate” by The Guardian) making his Festival debut in one of the best-known works for solo clarinet. After that, it dives into two delightful, lesser-known pieces: Prague-born Erwin Schulhoff’s early-20th-century Concertino for Flute, Viola, and Double Bass—which draws inspiration from an eclectic range of influences, including Czech folk music—and 19th-century Swedish composer Franz Berwald’s charming and stirringly Romantic Septet in B-flat Major.

EPSG:4326

Berwald Septet

New Mexico Museum of Art

Schumann and Brahms had an enormous impact on each other's lives and work, and here they appear together in two sumptuous works that exude love for what brought them together: music as music, without explanations.

Bleuse, Brahms & Schumann

Odense Concert Hall

The opportunity to play chamber music together is always a delight for us, as it allows our musicians to showcase their individual talents in smaller ensembles, far removed from the grand orchestral repertoire. This concert offers a magical blend of wind and string sounds with surprising pieces and humorous, playful antics – after all, music should be fun. Richard Strauss clearly shared this sentiment when he once remarked with a twinkle in his eye: "I just wanted the people in the concert hall to have a good laugh." He was referring to his delightful composition about the mischievous Till Eulenspiegel, which we now have on our music stands in a slightly different version: In 1954, Franz Hasenöhrl transformed the famous symphonic poem into a whimsical, grotesque chamber music piece – a series of jokes in several episodes for just five instruments. A playful spirit was also the guiding principle for Harald Genzmer, and his 1967 quartet is an impressive work brimming with experimentation and vitality. Franz Berwald's Septet, completed in 1828, is equally original and remarkable for its rich soundscape – and we can indulge our virtuoso musicality in daring, rollercoaster-like passages. We'll also stage a "futile serenade" with the cheerful "Serenata in vano" from 1914.

Chamber concert: Septet

Bamberger Symphoniker

Experience the musical brilliance of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of conductor Andreas Delfs. This event features a captivating performance of Johann Sebastian Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D Major, BWV 1069, showcasing the timeless elegance and intricate compositions that have made Bach a cornerstone of classical music. Complementing this masterpiece, the program includes Claude Debussy's Première Rhapsodie, a piece that highlights the expressive capabilities of the clarinet, performed by the talented Kamalia Freyling. The concert also features Franz Berwald's Symphony No. 3 in C Major, Singulière, a work known for its unique structure and vibrant orchestration. This event promises an immersive experience, celebrating the rich heritage of classical music through the exceptional talents of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and its guest artists.

Bach & Debussy

Glazer Music Performance Center

Titan is the addition to Gustav Mahler's first symphony and Sinfonie naïve is the name of Franz Berwald's fourth symphony. The big, powerful and the small, naive thus come together in this concert where honorary conductor Herbert Blomstedt returns to the desk in the Berwaldhallen and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Mahler's Number One With Blomstedt

SR Berwaldhallen

Herbert Blomstedt is Sweden's internationally most recognized conductor – ever. Among the orchestras he has worked with are the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Orchestre de Paris, and notably the San Francisco Symphony, where Blomstedt was chief conductor for ten years. Blomstedt has also conducted the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra on well over 200 occasions, and on the occasion of his 90th birthday in 2017, Konserthuset named its grand conductor's dressing room after him.

Herbert Blomstedt conducts

Stockholm City Hall

When conductor laureate Herbert Blomstedt returns to Berwaldhallen he will be leading the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in two rarely performed works: Franz Berwald’s Symphony No. 2 -“Sinfonie capricieuse” and Franz Schubert’s melodic Symphony No. 6. Although the two composers, born within a year of each other, were never properly recognized during their lifetime, their groundbreaking works reveal their inquiring minds and creative zeal

Blomstedt Meets Berwald & Schubert

Curtis Institute of Music students perform over 100 free recitals during the semester, held on most Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings. Admission requires advance registration and is complimentary.

Harp, Viola, Bassoon, Flute, Violin, and Piano

Curtis Institute of Music

Immerse yourself in an enchanting evening of Nordic chamber music with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. This special chamber concert series will take place on two consecutive days, starting on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at 8:00 pm in the majestic Max Joseph Saal of the Munich Residence, followed by a Sunday performance on March 6, 2022, at 6:00 pm at the serene Tutzing Evangelische Akademie.

The program promises a journey through the rich tapestry of Scandinavian music, featuring works by Carl Nielsen, Edvard Grieg, Jean Sibelius, and Franz Berwald. Highlights include Nielsen's "Serenata in vano" and his String Quartet No. 3 in E-Flat Major, op. 14, alongside Grieg's String Quartet No. 2 in F Major, Sibelius's "Serenade for two Violins and Cello," and Berwald's "Septet in B-Flat Major."

The evening will showcase the talents of Werner Mittelbach on clarinet, Susanne Sonntag on bassoon, Ursula Kepser on horn, Anne Schoenholtz and Andrea Eun-Jeong Kim on violins, Tobias Reifland on viola, Jaka Stadler on violoncello, and Teja Andresen on double bass.

This program not only explores the historical roots of Nordic chamber music, drawing inspiration from Beethoven’s masterpieces, but also ventures into the modern with Nielsen's compositions, all while capturing the charm and hues of Norway and Denmark. The concert will be a celebration of Scandinavian music's breadth, from the romantic to the modern, and from the enchanting to the humorous.

For further details and ticket information, please visit the BRticket-Webshop at shop.br-ticket.de. Don't miss this opportunity to experience the sublime beauty of Nordic chamber music in the heart of Munich.

Chamber Concert: Nordic composers

Munich Residence

Evangelische Akademie

European iconoclasts meet American masters. Composer Franz Berwald—an erstwhile orthopedic surgeon—stood apart from the early Romantic mainstream, cultivating a distinctly eccentric voice with his overture to Estrella di Soria. Sergei Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1, an early work from the so-called "bad boy of Russian music," conjures a dreamlike sound world, interweaving introspective lyricism with flashes of steely virtuosity. Completing the program are two pillars of 1940s Americana: the orchestral suite from Aaron Copland's iconic ballet Appalachian Spring and the probing musical argument of Samuel Barber's Second Essay for Orchestra.

Composer

Franz Berwald

Events

Upcoming events

17 - 18 Oct, 2026

Appalachian Spring + Alexi Kenney · Monterey Symphony

Past events

Aug 27, 2026

Berwald’s septet and Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings · Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra

Jul 22, 2026

Berwald Septet · Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival

About

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