Conductor

Pianist

Landscape paintings with a pianist. Framed by shimmering postcard images from Italy and Croatia, the still astonishingly youthful Alexander Malofeev will present one of the most popular and brilliant piano concertos of the Romantic era, whose legendary opening chords are known to everyone. In 2022, Malofeev stepped in for his ailing colleague Yevgeny Kissin with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, performing Rachmaninoff's formidably difficult Piano Concerto No. 3; he was just 20 years old at the time. Now he returns with Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, another work for the consummate virtuoso soloist – though Malofeev avoids every cliché at the piano, always prioritizing refinement over pathos. With meticulous brushstrokes, he paints the landscapes that Croatian conductor Ivan Repušić has grouped around the Tchaikovsky lighthouse. These are the vivid depictions of Roman nature and folklore by Respighi and Tchaikovsky, as well as those "Sunny Fields" to which the Croatian composer Blagoje Bersa dedicated a brilliant, sonorous symphonic poem in 1917.

EPSG:4326

Pines of Rome

Alte Oper

There is hardly another work that goes all out right from the start: Tchaikovsky's intoxicating Piano Concerto in B-flat minor is immediately at full throttle – with a striking orchestral tutti and massive piano chords that demand steely precision from the pianist. Incredibly, his teacher wanted to give him a good dressing-down for this concerto. "Perhaps one or two pages are worth saving, the rest must be destroyed," was his verdict. It's fortunate the composer didn't heed his advice, otherwise one of the most beloved and brilliant Romantic piano concertos would no longer exist. But as it is, you can experience it in this concert, with the young keyboard virtuoso Alexander Malofeev, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, and conductor Ivan Repušić. Speaking of the "world": Peter Tchaikovsky was well-versed in it, having traveled extensively in his time – including to Italy, where he collected Italian folk music and transformed it in his own unique way into a lively orchestral piece: his "Capriccio italien." And those who know their way around, like him, pronounce "italien" in the French way!

Dream of Tchaikovsky

Rising from raging, fierce tempests of the sea stands a triumphant hero: Otello! The illustrious general is in love with the enchanting Desdemona. Against her father's will, she frees herself from the golden cage and now loves the man who dazzles so brilliantly amidst the splendor of society, yet remains so distant. As Jago takes the stage and plants seeds of doubt, jealousy begins to grow in Otello.

Otello

Oper Leipzig

Following the Frankfurt concerts, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra with Ivan Repušić will be appearing at the Beethovenfest Bonn. In addition to an overture by Dora Pejačević, the program includes the world premiere of a new work for violin, cello, piano and orchestra by the Catalan composer Ferran Cruixent, which was commissioned by the Beethovenfest, as well as Antonín Dvořák's 8th Symphony.

Beethovenfest Bonn

Theater Bonn Opera House

The Spanish royal court is gripped by an icy coldness: For reasons of politics, the heir to the throne, Don Carlo has lost his bride Elisabetta to his father, the Spanish king. The crown prince is also thwarted in his political ambitions. The king, on the other hand, is powerless against the fiercely devout Grand Inquisitor. It seems that only Carlos’s friend Rodrigo can break free of these political and private constraints. But his bold dream of freedom leads to catastrophe. Giuseppe Verdi explores his great theme, the incompatibility of politics and private happiness, through almost all the characters in this opera, which premiered in 1867. For modern audiences it paints an oppressively topical social panorama. In cooperation with the Salzburg Easter Festival, the Semperoper presents »Don Carlo« in the four-act Italian version of 1884, supplemented by a new instrumental prologue by composer Manfred Trojahn, which sets up the background to the drama.

Don Carlo

Semperoper Dresden

The New Year's Eve gala, under the direction of Chief Conductor Ivan Repušić, with its rich vocal sensibility from the world of opera, has become a tradition at the Munich Radio Orchestra. This year, soprano Elsa Dreisig and tenor Matteo Ivan Rašić will be joining the cast. Naturally, they'll also be performing arias by Mozart, who inspired the renowned French-Danish singer to pursue a professional career. Matteo Ivan Rašić, winner of the 2024 Otto Edelmann Singing Competition and member of the Gärtnerplatztheater ensemble, will complement the program with tenor highlights from opera and operetta!

New Year's Eve Gala

Munich Residence

Violetta Valery, living in kept splendour at the expense of Baron Douphol, has apparently recovered from a serious illness. To celebrate, she throws a party where she meets and falls for Alfredo Germont. As their love for each other is frowned upon, they set up house outside of Paris. Alfredo’s father insists that she break with his son in order not to jeopardise the marriage prospects of Alfredo’s sister. Violetta accedes to his wish and cuts off relations. In a showdown at another party Violetta tries to convince Alfredo that she’s in love with the Baron, causing Alfredo to hurl his gambling winnings at her feet, calling them “fees for services rendered”. Soon afterwards, at the height of the Paris carnival, Violetta is on her deathbed. She receives Alfredo, who has heard from his father her real reason for leaving him. Violetta forgives him, gives him her blessing and dies.

La traviata

Deutsche Oper Berlin

"Katja and Ivan" – that's Ivan Repušić, Chief Conductor of the Munich Radio Orchestra, and his wife Katja, a pianist and professor in Split. Together with string players from the radio orchestra, they open the doors of their very own salon. Brahms' almost symphonic piano quintet will be accompanied by, among other things, five cheerful and charming miniatures by Shostakovich, based on film and stage music. Katja and Ivan's compatriot Boris Papandopulo sends greetings from their shared homeland of Croatia in the form of his "Papandopulijada."

Salon Katja and Ivan

Künstlerhaus am Lenbachplatz

Clemens loves music – but how do you dance to it? Luckily, there are the amazing dancers from the Ottobrunn Ballet School! Together, they discover how sounds transform into movement. Whether elegant, wild, or fun – the dance floor comes alive to the music of string instruments and piano. Join in, let yourself be swept away – and you'll surely find yourself dancing along by the end!

Dance with me!

"I want to nourish the soul," said Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks, whose birthday the Munich Radio Orchestra is celebrating with works as diverse as a mass and the violin concerto "Distant Light." These works shed light on Vasks's thinking—the coexistence of nature and humanity, the sense of beauty, and the impending moral destruction of the world. His themes are rooted in his upbringing, having grown up in a country that was able to cast off its shackles nonviolently in a "Singing Revolution."

Peteris Vasks

Sacred Heart Church Munich

Politics and the private sphere collide fatally in Verdi's opera Simon Boccanegra: The title character, elected Doge of Genoa by the people, pays with his life for the bitter game of love and power. Thanks in part to his librettist, Arrigo Boito, Verdi succeeded in revising the work in 1881 in creating a predominantly somber yet highly fascinating tableau of light and shadow. Boccanegra's desperate cry for peace, echoing the words of the poet Petrarch, becomes a timeless plea – and the shimmering sea, captured by the orchestra, becomes a symbol of hope.

Simon Boccanegra

Prinzregententheater

Politics and the private sphere collide fatally in Verdi's opera Simon Boccanegra: The title character, elected by the people as Doge of Genoa, pays with his life for the bitter game of love and power. Thanks in part to his librettist, Arrigo Boito, Verdi succeeded in creating a predominantly somber yet highly fascinating tableau of light and shadow in his 1881 revision of the work. Boccanegra's desperate cry for peace, echoing the words of the poet Petrarch, becomes a timeless plea – and the shimmering sea captured by the orchestra becomes a symbol of hope.

Visiting Budapest

Müpa Budapest

Ivan Repušić has shaped the Munich Radio Orchestra as its chief conductor since 2017. Before his departure at the end of the season, the shared successes deserve a fitting celebration – with a concert, of course! The evening will be enriched by musical contributions from important collaborators, including the Bavarian Radio Choir and the artists in residence of recent years. Ivan Repušić will certainly return to the Radio Orchestra at some point in the future.

Conductor, Pianist

Ivan Repušić

Events

Upcoming events

Dec 31, 2025

New Year's Eve Gala · Münchner Rundfunkorchester

Jan 19 - Feb 28, 2026

La traviata · Deutsche Oper Berlin

Feb 23, 2026

Salon Katja and Ivan · Münchner Rundfunkorchester

Feb 24, 2026

Dance with me! · Münchner Rundfunkorchester

Apr 17, 2026

Peteris Vasks · Münchner Rundfunkorchester

Past events

23 - 24 Oct, 2025

Pines of Rome · Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

Oct 22, 2025

Dream of Tchaikovsky · Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

Future and recently performed repertoire

Conductor in La traviata by Verdi

Deutsche Oper Berlin

Conductor in Piano Concerto No. 1 by Tchaikovsky

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

Conductor in Otello by Verdi

Oper Leipzig

Conductor in Simon Boccanegra by Verdi

Münchner Rundfunkorchester

Piano in Piano Quintet in F minor by Brahms

Münchner Rundfunkorchester

Conductor in Don Carlos by Verdi

Semperoper Dresden

Conductor in Pini di Roma by Respighi

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

Conductor in Italian Capriccio by Tchaikovsky

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

Piano in Five pieces for two violins and piano by Shostakovich

Münchner Rundfunkorchester

Piano in Papandopulijada by Papandopulo

Münchner Rundfunkorchester

Conductor in Pater noster by Vasks

Münchner Rundfunkorchester

Conductor in Da pacem, Domine by Pärt

Münchner Rundfunkorchester

Conductor in Missa for choir and string orchestra by Vasks

Münchner Rundfunkorchester

Conductor in Violin Concerto “Distant Light” by Vasks

Münchner Rundfunkorchester

Conductor in Sunny Fields by Bersa

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

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