Under the motto "Planet Shostakovich," the Jena Philharmonic will embark on a musical orbit centered around the multifaceted works of Dmitri Shostakovich in the 2025-2026 season. In his eighth season as General Music Director, Simon Gaudenz invites audiences to rediscover a composer whose music oscillates between contemporary witness and timeless expressiveness. Shostakovich, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Delius, and Tomlinson—the season opening concert will showcase the broad stylistic range the orchestra will explore throughout the season. The new ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, light artist Robert Seidel, will also offer a foretaste of his art, which will enrich the music with new perceptions. Experience an afternoon of encounters, awakening, and anticipation. /JN

EPSG:4326

Season opening concert

Volkshaus Jena

Don't be happy too late is the inversion of the well-known motto. Or as a classic: "Always look on the bright side of life". The motto comes from the comedy troupe Monty Python and is still apt. Children and fools are in a good mood and they tell the truth. They dare to do things that are not otherwise appropriate: to be blunt and direct, to hold up a mirror to others, to look at themselves in it, not to take themselves too seriously and to infect others with their anarchic cheerfulness. Sometimes fools also fib. Never mind. When you laugh, you recognize a truth that you would otherwise only suspect through deep thought. A New Year's concert about fools and comedians in music.

Ernest Tomlinson

Events

Past events

Sep 14, 2025

Season opening concert · Jenaer Philharmonie

Jan 11, 2025

New Year's Concert · Staatstheater Darmstadt

About

Ernest Tomlinson hasn't added a bio