Name: Opening
Start: 2026-03-22T11:00:00
Location: Wallraf-Richartz Museum

The Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne is set to present an eclectic lineup of ten events from February to May 2026, showcasing chamber music, choral, and orchestral marvels. Featuring compositions from musical luminaries like Beethoven, Brahms, and Holst, as well as contemporary works by Ligeti and Adès, this series promises an auditory feast. With performances held in iconic venues like the Cologne Philharmonie and Wallraf-Richartz Museum, audiences will be treated to exceptional artistry by a roster of talented musicians and conductors.

Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne's 2026 Lineup: A Sonic Journey Through Time and Space

The Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne invites you on a mesmerizing journey into the world of celestial and human wonders through their captivating performances. Their upcoming events feature a range of genres including choral, chamber music, and orchestral. Together with renowned artists like Renaud Capuçon and André Orozco-Estrada, the orchestra promises to deliver unforgettable experiences. From the cosmic sounds of 'The Planets' by Gustav Holst to the emotional depths of Brahms's 'A German Requiem', each performance offers a unique narrative woven through music.

Galactic Harmonies: A Journey Through the Captivating Performances by Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne

Valentin Ungureanu

Katharina Apel-Hülshoff

Pavel Hudec

Evgenia Sverdlova

Rica Schultes

Megumi Hashiba

Gürzenich-Orchester Köln

PhilharmonieLunch is becoming PhilharmonieProbe. PhilharmonieProbe opens its doors to offer a special insight: you can experience the resident orchestras, the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne and the WDR Symphony Orchestra, and their guests at work, spending 30 minutes watching them rehearse the current concert programme. Take a little break from everyday life at the Cologne Philharmonie – inspiring, moving, authentic. A place filled with music, for an unusual lunch break, a break from the sounds of the city, or simply a break from the daily grind.

PhilharmonieProbe

Cologne Philharmonie

Papa Haydn? Far from being merely dignified and formal, his symphonies are surprising, full of flashes of inspiration, play with expectations – and are full of wit. With 107 symphonies, Joseph Haydn not only left behind an impressive number, but also had a decisive influence on the genre. Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms and Mahler – they all built on the foundation laid by Haydn. With three of his favourite symphonies, Gürzenich Kapellmeister Andrés Orozco-Estrada invites you on a special journey of discovery – and takes you into the orchestra's engine room. In informal concert talks, you can hear and see how music is created, how it is refined during rehearsals – and perhaps the audience will even be allowed to have a say in one or two interpretations. An invitation to anyone who wants to experience classical music in a different way: accessible, exciting and full of the joy of discovery.

Ein Haydn-Spaß

Robert Schumann seems to have entered a form of creative delirium when he wrote his Cello Concerto in 1850, within the time of not even two weeks: this is no bravura tightrope act, and no self-preening soloist presented as a lion-tamer of his instrument, but rather, a composition full of enchantment and narrative strength, albeit not without dark shadows … Premonitions of coming mental-health catastrophes in the composer’s life? The young cellist Anastasia Kobekina is a graduate of the Kronberg Academy, with which the Gürzenich Orchestra continues its cooperation this season. Today, Anastasia Kobekina appears all over the world, and the newspaper »Le Figaro« described her simply as »an incomparable musician« – which makes her an ideal protagonist for one of the most intimate, profound cello concertos of the romantic era. Schumann also completed the first sketch of his Second Symphony as if in a fever dream: the draft was finished after only 16 days – but elaborating it would take far longer. At the time, Schumann was in the grip of a deep crisis, having suffered a mental and physical breakdown. Later, he would describe how working on his Second Symphony had brought respite and healing.

Delirium

Rückblenden

Chamber Music Hall

Nurturing talent and offering lasting support for the rising young elite of instrumentalists: this is an important part of the Gürzenich Orchestra’s mission and responsibility. During the past season, the Orchestra and Andrés Orozco-Estrada launched a cooperation with one of the world’s leading training institutions, presenting tomorrow’s classical stars: the Kronberg Academy supports internationally outstanding instrumentalists on the cusp of great solo careers. This second edition of the project features another three exceptional young talents in key works for their instrument.

Kronberg Academy

Ever since Kubrick’s »2001: A Space Odyssey«, the opening minutes of Strauss’s »Thus Spoke Zarathustra« have become instantly famous. This Sunday morning, you will hear that they are followed by another half-hour of marvellous poetic beauty.

Guest Performance Amsterdam

The Concertgebouw

How do you organize an orchestra tour? What happens during an audition? How does an education project come about? We offer close-up insights, share stories from everyday life, and lift the curtain – step by step. Over pretzels, Kölsch beer, and cold drinks, musicians, guests, and staff will engage in conversation and provide glimpses behind the scenes. Personal, direct, and without the distance of a stage, an exchange takes place away from the spotlight.

Musikalischer Frühschoppen

Belgisches Haus

This is the sound of Cologne – with heart, brass and that Cologne spirit.

When the young talents of the Rheinische Musikschule’s Youth Symphony Wind Orchestra join forces with the musicians of the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, the result is a concert that brings people together: generations, musical worlds and a genuine love for our home town. Look forward to a concert that showcases just how vibrant and forward-looking Cologne sounds.

So klingt Köln

Flora Köln

In the long and venerable tradition of the Gürzenich Orchestra, Gustav Mahler and his oeuvre play an important role. He himself conducted the orchestra several times, and two of his symphonies were given their first performance by the Gürzenich Orchestra. Since then, he has been among the pillars of the repertoire of the orchestra, whose distinct sound had a decisive influence on Mahler’s compositional style – similar to the symphonic works of Johannes Brahms.

Blows of Fate

Featuring music by Peter I. Tchaikovsky, Nikolaj Rimskij-Korsakov, Edvard Grieg, Camille Saint-Saëns and Armas Järnefelt.

Family Concert: Das Geheimnis der Weihnachtswichtel

A concert featuring works by Peter I. Tchaikovsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Edvard Grieg, Camille Saint-Saëns and Armas Järnefelt.

School Concert: Das Geheimnis der Weihnachtswichtel

Only four more days, then it’s Christmas! And what would the holiday season be without music? The Gürzenich Orchestra lights the fourth candle on the advent’s wreath, bathing the Philharmonie in a golden light and basking in happy anticipation. It’s hard to imagine music more festive than Johann Sebastian Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 1. And when François Leleux, one of the most famous wind soloists of our time, sets sparks flying in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s bravura Oboe Concerto and even goes on a short expedition to the opera world, one can only marvel at his virtuosity. Franz Schubert left his Symphony No. 7 unfinished, completing only two movements – but those are among the most beautiful music ever gifted to humanity. Here, mystery, melancholy and exultant jubilation are woven into a glittering whole.

Opening

Articles & News