Sofia Gubaidulina's ‘Fairytale Poem’ from 1971, with which the Konzerthausorchester and Joana Mallwitz begin their concert, is, according to the composer, about a little piece of chalk with big dreams of marvellous things that it wants to draw. Unfortunately, it is only used as blackboard chalk at school and is eventually thrown away. A boy finds it and begins to draw castles, gardens and sunsets on the street. The chalk is too happy to realize that it is finally disintegrating.

Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Joana Mallwitz

Konzerthaus Berlin

The one-hour short concerts ‘8Zehn30’ on Thursdays from 18:30 at the Konzerthaus Berlin are always short and sweet: let go of everyday life and simply immerse yourself in 60 minutes of music without a break - regardless of whether the end of the working day is already in sight or another evening shift has to be put in. The orchestra musicians of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin accompany their audience through a short(er) concert evening - from the personal introduction to the after-concert drinks at the bar in the Beethoven Hall.

8ZEHN30 – Short Concert

Off to Italy! If not in person, you can at least escape the grey of Berlin for a while with the Konzerthausorchester, Joana Mallwitz and our former artist in residence violist Antoine Tamestit. First, Swedish composer Andrea Tarrodi will take you through picturesque Ligurian villages.

‘There is still no music that is closer to my heart than Schubert's,’ says Joana Mallwitz. This composer and his works were the ‘initial spark’ for her to become a conductor. ‘I'm really looking forward to conducting Schubert's “Great” in C major not in front of cameras and an empty hall, as I did in 2020 when I made my debut with the Konzerthausorchester due to the coronavirus, but in front of an audience. I think it's one of the best pieces ever,’ says our chief conductor.

‘We tell ourselves stories through good music,’ our chief conductor Joana Mallwitz is convinced. And that's why there are once again two Night Sessions this season, which she has newly developed with and for the Konzerthaus Berlin. The concerts with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, which start at 9.30 pm on Fridays, always revolve around a theme that she presents in an unusual stage setting and to which a guest panellist contributes a different perspective on the common topic.

Night Session

The chicken that seems to cluck through the first movement of Haydn's Paris Symphony No. 83 in the second theme was not sighted there by the composer himself but, as is so often the case, by posterity. But with Haydn's numerous symphonies, epithets are certainly helpful. With ‘La Poule’ from 1785, Joana Mallwitz continues her Haydn focus at the Konzerthausorchester, which spans several seasons.

‘The expedition concerts are all about the pure joy of listening. We approach the great masterpieces of classical music from different directions, listen to the details, combine background stories and anecdotes with musical discoveries and take the audience on this journey,’ says Joana Mallwitz, describing the format. She first shares her enthusiasm at the piano, then switches to conducting the Konzerthausorchester. The entire work is then performed together - in this case, Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 9 in C major,  known as ‘The Great‘, and ‘one of the best pieces ever’ for our chief conductor.

Expedition Concert with Joana Mallwitz

We have waited a long time for this, you have waited a long time for this - Berlin's most beautiful open-air living room, Gendarmenmarkt, will be open to all of us again from summer 2025, now renovated sustainably and in accordance with monument protection regulations. And that means: finally being able to stroll around again, sit on the steps, marvel at the architecture - and listen to wonderful concerts.

Joanna Mallwitz

Events

Upcoming events

Jan 31 - Feb 2, 2025

Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Joana Mallwitz · Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Feb 20, 2025

8ZEHN30 – Short Concert · Konzerthausorchester Berlin

21 - 22 Feb, 2025

Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Joana Mallwitz · Konzerthausorchester Berlin

6 - 8 Jun, 2025

Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Joana Mallwitz · Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Jun 21, 2025

Night Session · Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Future and recently performed repertoire

Conductor in Petrushka by Stravinsky

Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Conductor in Variations on a Rococo Theme by Tchaikovsky

Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Conductor in Liguria by Tarrodi

Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Conductor in Cello Concerto No. 1 by Shostakovich

Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Conductor in Fairytale Poem by Gubaidulina

Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Conductor in D'un matin de printemps by Boulanger

Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Conductor in Harold in Italy by Berlioz

Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Conductor in Symphony No. 4 by Tchaikovsky

Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Conductor in Symphony No. 9 by Schubert

Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Conductor in Symphony No. 4 by Mendelssohn

Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Conductor in Piano Concerto No. 3 by Bartók

Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Conductor in 6 Pieces by Tchaikovsky

Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Conductor in Symphony No. 83 by Haydn

Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Conductor in Symphony in C major by Schubert

Konzerthausorchester Berlin

About

Joanna Mallwitz hasn't added a bio