Four saxophones fill rooms. Their sound is rich, loud, and colorful. As a mini big band, they can replace an orchestra, and that's exactly what they do here. You can hear cello concertos and orchestral works arranged for cello, piano, and saxophone quartet. Schwetzingen artist in residence Raphaela Gromes takes on the string part, arranger Julian Riem sits at the grand piano, and the four spirited wind players of the Signum Saxophone Quartet, founded in 2016, ensure that the music not only sounds beautiful, but also explodes at times. For example, when the forest witch Baba Yaga swings herself on her broom in Anatoly Lyadov's tone poem. During the long clarinet glissando at the beginning of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue . In Bernstein's groovy Mambo . Or during the musical shared apartment of rock, jazz, Vivaldi, and Schubert in Friedrich Gulda's Cello Concerto. As one of the Signum musicians once said: “You have to give the audience your whole heart, your whole soul.” Trigger warning: You might leave the concert hall dancing.

Raphaela Gromes · Julian Riem · Signum Saxophone Quartet

Rococo Theater

As the youngest participant in the competition's history, Roman Borisov won the Kissinger Piano Olympus in 2022 – for his "highly musical, intuitive, and at the same time structurally aware interpretations," according to the jury's verdict. His recently released debut album with works by Sergei Rachmaninoff was also well received, with music critic Eleonore Büning praising his mastery and the "tender elegance" of the recording. Rachmaninoff will now also be a focal point of the young Russian's first appearance at the Elbphilharmonie, where he will expand this year's "Pianomania" theme, "Mazurka," to include other dances in triple time.

Anatoli Ljadow

Events

Upcoming events

Feb 20, 2026

Roman Borisov / Klavierabend · Elbphilharmonie

Past events

May 28, 2025

Raphaela Gromes · Julian Riem · Signum Saxophone Quartet · SWR Symphonieorchester

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