Name: Shostakovich – A Portrait
Start: 2025-04-02T19:30:00
Location: Bayerische Theaterakademie August Everding

Join the Münchner Rundfunkorchester on an exhilarating journey through diverse musical landscapes. From the evocative soundscapes of video game music to the powerful narratives of opera, discover the orchestra’s eclectic performances. Highlights include an exploration of women composers, immersive storytelling through fairytales, and the heartwarming Do Re Mikro show engaging young audiences. These events promise an engaging auditory experience for all music enthusiasts.

Exploring the Sonic Tapestry: Munich Radio Orchestra's Diverse Musical Journey

Embark on a musical journey with the Münchner Rundfunkorchester's captivating events, each meticulously designed to offer a unique experience. The orchestra brings to life classic fairytales, engages young audiences with interactive shows, and celebrates the rich heritage of French chamber music. From exploring the rich melodies of Dmitri Shostakovich to the poignant narratives of 'Written on Skin,' and the exhilarating compositions by Tchaikovsky, Ravel, and Stravinsky, there's something magical for everyone. Discover the diversity of sound and emotion in these carefully curated performances.

Exploring a Symphony of Stories with Münchner Rundfunkorchester

The Münchner Rundfunkorchester presents a thrilling line-up of performances for 2025, showcasing an eclectic mix of operatic tales, orchestral masterpieces, and unique collaborations. From the gripping opera 'Written On Skin' by George Benjamin to the introspective works of Dmitri Shostakovich, the season offers a rich tapestry of musical expressions. Audiences will experience the vibrant portrayals of Maurice Ravel and Igor Stravinsky, the golden tones of trumpeter Matthias Höfs, and the poignant narratives in 'A Child of Our Time' by Michael Tippett, each performance promising to resonate with creativity and passion.

Exploring Music and Emotion: The Münchner Rundfunkorchester's 2025 Season Highlights

The Münchner Rundfunkorchester presents a tapestry of musical events that span the rich history of orchestral music. From the evocative compositions of Dmitri Shostakovich to the triumphant melodies of Tchaikovsky, the orchestra showcases a diverse range of creative works. With performances by acclaimed artists such as Alexandra Conunova and Matthias Höfs, each event promises a unique auditory experience. Join us as we delve into the powerful narratives and vibrant sounds that have defined music through the ages.

Musical Exploration: A Journey Through Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, and More

Münchner Rundfunkorchester

"I want to nourish the soul," said Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks, whose birthday the Munich Radio Orchestra is celebrating with works as diverse as a mass and the violin concerto "Distant Light." These works shed light on Vasks's thinking—the coexistence of nature and humanity, the sense of beauty, and the impending moral destruction of the world. His themes are rooted in his upbringing, having grown up in a country that was able to cast off its shackles nonviolently in a "Singing Revolution."

Peteris Vasks

Sacred Heart Church Munich

Politics and the private sphere collide fatally in Verdi's opera Simon Boccanegra: The title character, elected Doge of Genoa by the people, pays with his life for the bitter game of love and power. Thanks in part to his librettist, Arrigo Boito, Verdi succeeded in revising the work in 1881 in creating a predominantly somber yet highly fascinating tableau of light and shadow. Boccanegra's desperate cry for peace, echoing the words of the poet Petrarch, becomes a timeless plea – and the shimmering sea, captured by the orchestra, becomes a symbol of hope.

Simon Boccanegra

Prinzregententheater

The International Meistersinger Academy (IMA) not only offers outstanding singers excellent study opportunities but also paves the way for them to pursue a career. Under the artistic direction of Edith Wiens, the IMA will celebrate its 15th anniversary in 2026. Alumni of the academy will perform in the gala concert under the direction of Matthias Foremny.

Gala concert

Reitstadel

Politics and the private sphere collide fatally in Verdi's opera Simon Boccanegra: The title character, elected by the people as Doge of Genoa, pays with his life for the bitter game of love and power. Thanks in part to his librettist, Arrigo Boito, Verdi succeeded in creating a predominantly somber yet highly fascinating tableau of light and shadow in his 1881 revision of the work. Boccanegra's desperate cry for peace, echoing the words of the poet Petrarch, becomes a timeless plea – and the shimmering sea captured by the orchestra becomes a symbol of hope.

Visiting Budapest

Müpa Budapest

The music of America is dazzling and full of timbres! With locomotive driver Juri, we'll embark on a journey across the continent. We'll begin on the legendary steam locomotive Pacific 231. In the Wild West, we'll see the Grand Canyon and stop off at a cowboy's house for a boisterous feast. Then we'll head south toward Mexico and even Brazil – a journey full of adventure with fascinating instruments and stunningly beautiful music!

Music Express

Germering Town Hall

Classical Music in Bavaria 2026

Margravial Opera House Bayreuth

A concert for the youngest, presented in an age-appropriate manner for 3- to 6-year-olds.
Duration: approximately 30 minutes

How is music created using only air? Find out, along with host Clemens. Luckily, the flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon are on hand to help him along! Together with students from the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts and concert designer Hanni Liang, we'll show you how breath transforms into sound. Sometimes airy and light, sometimes stormy and powerful – a concert full of unique "air numbers." Join us and experience the special magic of wind instruments!

air number

Künstlerhaus am Lenbachplatz

Ivan Repušić has shaped the Munich Radio Orchestra as its chief conductor since 2017. Before his departure at the end of the season, the shared successes deserve a fitting celebration – with a concert, of course! The evening will be enriched by musical contributions from important collaborators, including the Bavarian Radio Choir and the artists in residence of recent years. Ivan Repušić will certainly return to the Radio Orchestra at some point in the future.

Ivan Repušić & Friends

Allow me to introduce you to George Onslow from France and Ludwig Thuille, born in Bolzano! Their works are rarely heard in the concert hall. However, Onslow's Quintet, Op. 81, which requires a perfectly balanced wind ensemble, is a worthwhile example of his style, entirely focused on beautiful sound and classical form. Thuille, in turn, influenced a large number of renowned students as a professor at the Royal Bavarian Music School in Munich. His Sextet, Op. 6, rightly puts the master himself in the spotlight.

Rare guests

For decades, the Munich Radio Orchestra has been a guest at one of Bavaria's most prestigious festivals: At the Kissinger Sommer, which celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2026, the sun shines particularly brightly on world-class artists, especially when they can present their vocal artistry with optimal orchestral accompaniment. Experience the versatile tenor of Daniel Behle in the stylish Max Littmann Hall, performing arias and numbers from the most beautiful operas by Rossini, Meyerbeer, and Strauss.

Kissinger Summer

Max Littmann Hall

The Requiem speaks of "the fears and sorrows of people in this time, of illness and death, of love and loneliness" – Hans Werner Henze wrote this funeral music in memory of Michael Vyner, a longtime friend and artistic director of the London Sinfonietta, who died young in 1989. Now the work, whose movements are reminiscent of the Latin requiem mass and yet find their eloquent expressiveness in the wordless sphere of instrumental music, is heard in memory of the important German composer.

Hans Werner Henze

He has film music as much in his veins as operetta and musicals: the American conductor Joseph R. Olefirowicz. Like the Munich Radio Orchestra, he also works in a wide variety of musical styles and is a master of perfect entertainment. This dream team will be presenting itself twice at the Rheingau Music Festival: The opening performance will feature the biggest hits of video game music in rich orchestral sound. On the second evening, the musical journey will take them to London's West End – with melodies from hit productions such as "Cats" and "The Lion King."

Rheingau Music Festival

Open-Air Stage

Dmitri Shostakovich's music is rich in imagery, suggestive and expressive. It addresses the catastrophes of its time just as forcefully and ambiguously as it interprets the plot in a multi-dimensional way as original film music or as the famous "Waltz No. 2" is simply excellent dance music. It is important to discover the entire stylistic range that the celebrated and ostracized Soviet composer left behind for posterity as a symphonist and chamber musician - music that still accompanies many a soundtrack of well-known films today.

Shostakovich – A Portrait

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