Composer

»I love conducting so much that I absolutely have to do it.« Ruth Reinhardt realised this when she was 16 and her career today proves her right. Born in Saarbrücken, she completed her studies in Zurich, Leipzig and New York – and is now one of the up-and-coming female conductors who regularly perform with orchestras around the world. The young artist is especially praised for her versatility, her dynamic performances, her musical intelligence and her unorthodox choice of works. Her Bamberg debut is also a proof of this, as she leads us through some exciting repertoire: two pieces by Paul Hindemith – a modern composer who is particularly favoured by our guest conductor – set the scene. His provocative Ragtime from 1921 combines a Bach fugue with jazz elements, while the symphony »Mathis der Maler« portrays the inner and outer struggles of an eminent Renaissance artist in a colourful way. In between, the musical journey goes back 150 years to the Viennese classical period: to the time of Haydn, who liked to combine the highest standards with humour and popular elements in his symphonies. At the request of our solo cellist Marius Urba, a concerto for cello and wind orchestra composed in 1980 will also be performed, a wild ride through various genres: it was written by Friedrich Gulda, who was regarded as an enfant terrible in the classical music business. The audience is in for a colourful concert with a wide variety of ingredients and flavours. But as Ruth Reinhardt once said about her musical experiments, which might just come from a hot and sizzling witch’s kitchen – and have become her trademark: »I always like concert programmes that have contrasts!«

Guest in Erlangen

Heinrich-Lades-Halle

Join us at the Hilbert Circle Theatre in Indianapolis, Indiana, for a mesmerizing performance titled "Mozart and the Misfits" on October 31, 2024, at 11:00 am. This unique concert promises an unforgettable blend of funk beats, jazz, wit, and classicism, showcasing the incredible talents of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's beloved Principal Cellist, Austin Huntington. Experience the virtuosic Cello Concerto by Freidrich Gulda, a piece that transports the audience through a variety of scenes, from a pastoral Austrian vista to a Viennese court and a manic dance club. 

Under the artistic leadership of Assistant Conductor Su-Han Yang, the program also features Schnittke’s "Moz-Art à la Haydn," a playful and subversive tribute to the past masters, and Mozart’s great Linz Symphony, which will restore your bearings with its classical beauty. 

Tickets for this captivating event go on sale starting July 22, 2024. Don't miss your chance to witness the fusion of classical music with unexpected twists and turns. Buy your tickets early and plan your visit to the Hilbert Circle Theatre for an extraordinary musical journey with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

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Mozart and the Misfits

Hilbert Circle Theatre

Mozart & Gulda

University of California San Diego

What happened to the pop music of the past? Once upon a time, polkas, waltzes, and guitar solos reigned supreme (though not at the same time!). Come join Parlando as we explore what happened to the popular music genres of the past, and how they have been immortalized in classical music. 
Featuring cellist Henry Shapard performing Friedrich Gulda’s uproarious Concerto for Cello and Wind Orchestra, the concert also includes Henryk Górecki’s Kleines Requiem für eine Polka and Jacques Ibert’s Divertissement.

Parlando: Requiem for a Polka

Kaufman Music Center

Embark on a musical odyssey that embraces the past through a modern lens! Opening with Valerie Coleman’s 2021 “Fanfare for Uncommon Times”, this program presents new takes on old ideas. Gulda’s rhythmic “Cello Concerto” runs the gamut of musical styles from Renaissance Dance to Rock and Roll, German Ländler to big band jazz, and everything in between! “Oiseaux bleus et sauvages” (Birds Blue and Wild), Morlock’s playful take on birdsong, embodies a sense of mysticism. And pioneering American composer Howard Hanson’s Symphony No. 2 “Romantic” combines power and tenderness reminiscent of 19th century Romanticism.

Past And Present Sounds

Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center

The baton is the instrument of the star conductor – and can easily go missing: Be it due to damage, as in Toscanini's infamous tantrums – or simply by mistake. This was the case with Joana Mallwitz, who once hurled her baton into the audience. With a pencil, she then continued happily through the score. Whether with or without a baton, the debut of this sympathetic artist is eagerly awaited. At a young age, the score of Schubert's »Unfinished« was her »favourite book« and the initial spark for her career ambitions. She found her studies »heavenly«, became Europe’s youngest female General Music Director at the age of 27 and is now the new Chief Conductor of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, succeeding Christoph Eschenbach. She loves to put together programmes based on dramaturgical considerations and gut feeling – and always explores them with her own personal signature. Her typical, cleverly and lovingly composed blend of recipes between the familiar and the new are like exciting expeditions. For Bamberg, her musical menu includes dance pieces: It starts with the lively momentum of the 1985 work »The Chair-man Dances« by John Adams. Pablo Ferrández is the soloist in Dvořák’s cello concerto, which has to do with the composer’s great childhood love – and Rachmaninov wrote a heartbreaking song of tears with his »Symphonic Dances«. We can truly look forward to Joana Mallwitz’s inquisitive gaze: she is known for her combination of glowing passion and technical precision – and for her willingness to take risks, because: »Music always saves you! That’s why it’s the best thing you can do!«

Guest in Fulda

Fulda City Palace

Ruth Reinhardt, Marius Urba

Bamberg Concert Hall

Uplifting tunes and exuberant rhythms abound in this concert of epic proportions. Following a lively opener by Maestro Segal, the incredible principal cellist of The Cleveland Orchestra, Mark Kosower, will perform Friedrich Gulda’s Cello Concerto, a wild and catchy work described by the composer as “jazz, a minuet, rock, a smidgen of polka, and a march.” On the second half, Tchaikovsky’s monumental and heroic Fifth Symphony paints the ultimate picture of victory over strife. From the lush orchestration to the soaring melodies, you won’t want this concert to end!

Salina Symphony Presents Rocking Tchaikovsky

Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts

Uplifting tunes and exuberant rhythms abound in this concert of epic proportions. Following an immersive opener by Maestro Segal, the incredible principal cellist of The Cleveland Orchestra, Mark Kosower, will perform Friedrich Gulda’s Cello Concerto, a wild and catchy work described by the composer as “jazz, a minuet, rock, a smidgen of polka, and a march.” On the second half, Tchaikovsky’s monumental and heroic Fifth Symphony paints the ultimate picture of victory over strife. From the lush orchestration to the soaring melodies, you won’t want this concert to end!

Rocking Tchaikovsky

20th century master Bela Bartók’s Romanian Dances and 19th century French composer, Ernst Chausson’s Symphony bookend this concert, with cellist, Nathan Chan, performing the sensational Cello Concerto by Friedrich Gulda between this musical sandwich.

Bartok & Chausson

Edmonds Center For the Arts

To celebrate the Super Bowl, join the Olympia Symphony for an exciting musical matchup: Beethoven vs. Gulda! Featuring the talented cellist Nathan Chan, this concert pits the classic elegance of Beethoven against the dynamic flair of Gulda. Experience the thrill of these two musical powerhouses in a captivating performance that showcases both tradition and innovation. Don’t miss this unique event where music and competition meet!

Beethoven vs. Gulda

Washington Center for the Performing Arts

Old? New! March 2025 will mark the 150th anniversary of the premiere of Bizet's Carmen . It is still probably the most popular of all operas - a hit album made up of countless immortal hits. And the two concert suites present these hits in interrupted order. Old? New! At the podium: audience favorite Gordon Hamilton, the Australian who has chosen to live in Berlin, who, as always when he comes to us, is also bringing a brand new work of his own to the premiere: A Golden Thread , a golden thread that gradually weaves through the string orchestra. In contrast, the most original cello concerto in music history will be played before the break - that of the piano-playing and composing "enfant terrible" Friedrich Gulda. His concerto for cello and wind orchestra is a unique musical surprise package that explodes when opened, setting off musical sparks. From big band blues to church fair music, everything is included! The fireworks of punchlines are set off by the German star cellist Raphaela Gromes, who enchanted our audience in 2023 with the concert by Frederick Delius.

Bizet's Carmen And Gromes On The Cello

Meistersingerhalle

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.

Friedrich Gulda

Composer

Events

Upcoming events

Dec 21, 2024

Guest in Fulda · Bamberger Symphoniker

Dec 24, 2024

Ruth Reinhardt, Marius Urba · Bamberger Symphoniker

Jan 12, 2025

Salina Symphony Presents Rocking Tchaikovsky · Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts

Jan 12, 2025

Rocking Tchaikovsky · Salina Symphony

Jan 13, 2025

Bartok & Chausson · Cascade Symphony Orchestra

Past events

Dec 15, 2024

Guest in Erlangen · Bamberger Symphoniker

Oct 31 - Nov 2, 2024

Mozart and the Misfits · Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra

About

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