Light in all its colors is the focus of our spring symphony concert – in the month in which the trees glow in all shades of green: »In the beautiful month of May … «! Few symphonies are as radiant as Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s so-called Italian Symphony, in which he musically processes his journey to Italy, just as he did with his trip to Scotland. However, the Italian Symphony is not a program symphony, but rather takes up the moods and attitude to life of the country south of the Alps and transforms them into music: there is the cheerful verve of the opening movement, the Sicilian furor of the final tarantella and the pastoral smile of the scherzo. And as a contrast: the evocation of a Good Friday procession, the pacing, the memory of beloved dead people – with only occasional rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds. This distant light is the main component of Pēteris Vasks dreamlike violin concerto Distant Light, which he wrote for Gidon Kremer towards the end of the 20th century. The violinist Vadim Gluzman, who has already made a breathtaking recording of the concerto, will be our guest again. The concert opens with the playful Concerto for Strings by Polish composer Graz˙yna Bacewicz – just made for our virtuoso string players!

Lichter

Theater Bonn Opera House

Faith - hope - love, these three famous terms from the Bible, they characterise Pēteris Vasks, the globally acclaimed composer from Latvia. Faith: clearly very important to him. Hope: never give up! But the most important thing for him: love! And so he writes modern classical music that goes straight to the heart. And yet his artistic credo is: music must never be »sweet«!

EPSG:4326

RIX Piano Quartet

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

Almost exactly nine years ago, the Elbphilharmonie organ was played for the first time in a solo concert. Since then, titular organist Iveta Apkalna, who was also at the console back then, has presented ever-expanding organ repertoire with exciting programs—this time including minimal music by Philip Glass and music by organ favorites Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Liszt, and Pēteris Vasks.

Iveta Apkalna, Orgel

The American cellist Seth Parker Woods and the Ensemble Resonanz bring six voices to life that connect with each other across time and borders. They tell of struggle and loss, of rebellion and hope, of fractures and the attempt to heal them. Memory is their common foundation.

Peter Vasks

Events

Upcoming events

Dec 8, 2025

RIX Piano Quartet · Elbphilharmonie

Jan 29, 2026

Iveta Apkalna, Orgel · Elbphilharmonie

17 - 18 Jun, 2026

Ensemble Resonanz / Seth Parker Woods · Elbphilharmonie

Past events

May 23, 2025

Lichter · Beethoven Orchester Bonn

About

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