Name: Chamber Concert / Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra
Start: 2026-05-10T11:00:00
Location: Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

Daniel Cho

Mario Montes

Hibiki Oshima

Petar Kostov

Markus Tollmann

Iris Icellioglu

Felix Heckhausen

Maria  Rallo Muguruza

Clara Grünwald

Kathrin Wipfler

Joanna Kamenarska

Patrick Hollich

José Silva

Jan Polle

Felix von Werder

Camille Lemonnier

Hiroaki  Taewook Ahn

Kostas Malamis

Clara Bellegarde

Jonas Burow

Bettina Rühl

Yitong Guo

Tobias Bloos

Saskia Hirschinger

Christine Hu

Hannes Biermann

Michael Dorner

Rupert Wachter

Bernd Künkele

Jan-Niklas Siebert

Daniel Burmeister

William  Philippe Costa e Sous

Yuri Katsumata - Monegatto

John Martin

Maximilian Or

Elbphilharmonie

"For me as a child, Umm Kulthum was the voice of God," reveals Ghalia Benali. "Her voice touched the soul, not just the ears." Born in Brussels and raised in an artistic family in Tunisia, the singer was exposed to different musical styles at an early age – and continues to dance between cultures to this day. One of her greatest inspirations remains Umm Kulthum, arguably the most famous voice in the Middle East, who serves as Benali's "honorary grandmother." Together with the Iranian setar virtuoso Kiya Tabassian and his Ensemble Constantinople, she is dedicated to setting the poems of the "Rubaiyat" to music.

Ghalia Benali / Constantinople Ensemble

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

Hamburg's former General Music Director Simone Young has always championed the works of Austrian composer Franz Schmidt. She traces her fondness for his music back to her years in Vienna, where Schmidt is a staple of the repertoire. In the north, however, Young was the first in a long time to revive Schmidt's monumental oratorio "The Book with Seven Seals." For her guest conducting engagement with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, she now brings Schmidt's rarely heard Second Symphony in E-flat major to the table.

NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra / Simone Young

There is no better way to start Advent Sunday than with a varied, atmospheric organ concert: Christian Schmitt, renowned concert organist with a professorship at the Rotterdam Conservatory, invites you to a matinee with a program that presents the "queen of instruments" from the most beautiful romanticism to a piece exclusively for the pedals (i.e. played with the feet!).

Christian Schmitt, organ

For many, there is no more beautiful Advent tradition: a concert featuring Johann Sebastian Bach's "Christmas Oratorio." The Hamburg-based Balthasar Neumann Ensemble, with Julian Prégardien in the role of the narrating Evangelist and conductor Lionel Sow, who currently shapes the French choral scene like no other, brings this classic to the Elbphilharmonie and complements it with contemporary versions of traditional Christmas carols such as "Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen."

Bach: Christmas Oratorio / Lionel Sow

Dorsaf Hamdani is considered one of Tunisia's greatest voices. She has sung classical Arab-Andalusian music at the Cairo Opera, but has also worked with musicians from a variety of genres with equal passion. Above all, she is committed to sharing the cultural influences of her vocal art – these include, above all, the great singers of the Middle East: Umm Kulthum from Egypt, Asmahan from Syria, and Fairuz from Lebanon. Hamdani dedicated a very personal album to these three icons in 2011, which she now translates into a concert program.

Dorsaf Hamdani / Pierre Clavé / Yousef Zayed

Christmas is a time to find peace and to listen. To hear what is important in life. Christmas is full of traditions that connect people across age boundaries and link the present with the past. Singer Helene Blum and violinist Harald Haugaard bring the special atmosphere of the Nordic winter into the concert hall. Their programme »Nordic Christmas« celebrates this auspicious time with authentic and lovingly selected pieces and stories. The Danish musicians and their changing guests skilfully tell of the little moments, and between the notes the audience sees the tracks in the snow, hears the goblins giggling and the reindeer rattling. Time seems to stand still – until the next drum roll sounds and a lively dance begins...

Nordic Christmas

Jubilant choirs in high church halls, hardly anything reminds us more vividly of the deeper meaning of Christmas: the birth of a child and the promise of a happy future. And so the NDR Vokalensemble groups its Christmas concert around Johann Sebastian Bach’s motto »Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied«. Bach has two choirs compete with each other in the praise of God. And the magnificent final fugue »Alles was Odem hat, lobe den Herrn« with its virtuoso colouratura really hardly gives the singers a chance to catch their breath.

NDR Vocal Ensemble / Heide Müller

"Agmal Layali" is the name of the program presented by the group Love and Revenge at the Elbphilharmonie – "the most wonderful nights." To make the concert evening truly special, they combine the unique voice of Egyptian icon Umm Kulthum with hypnotic electronic beats and atmospheric video projections. Traditional instruments will also be tuned – such as the Arabic short-necked lute, the oud, which can be heard electronically. A concert with a high party factor!

Love and Revenge

The Hamburg State Orchestra's Philharmonic Concerts become time-plays, transcending the boundaries of the ordinary: This concert showcases Detlev Glanert's play with Haydn's way of thinking – his new composition, inspired by the Farewell Symphony, is juxtaposed with the original. Haydn thus encounters us today as a mirror of the past and, through Glanert, as a part of the here and now. This unabashed musical play opens up new perspectives on our musical culture, our thinking and being, and our way of receiving music.

Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra / Omer Meir Wellber

The ProArte »Winter’s Tale« has long since become a cherished tradition in Hamburg. Since 2017, a lovingly compiled and top-class programme has been delighting young and old alike every year on the Elbphilharmonie’s festively decorated stage. Seasoned artists as well as great up-and-coming talents do the honours here, where you can hear cheerful and festive, enchanting and contemplative music. And right in the middle of it all: the wonderful Katharina Thalbach, who brings the »festival of love« to life in all its facets with her unmistakable voice and superb acting – cheerful and touching, profound and profound.

A Winter’s Tale

NDR ElphCellisten

Sukyeon Kim is one of the most promising pianists of the younger generation: her playing is characterised by stupendous technique and great expressiveness. She won numerous competitions at a young age. Her broad repertoire includes works from the baroque to the modern era. For her piano recital at the Elbphilharmonie, she will present a varied programme of well-known composers – an unforgettable evening full of musical masterpieces and impressive sounds.

Sukyeon Kim / Piano evening

The soundscapes of the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra's chamber concerts are as diverse as the personalities of the musicians who perform in them. The demands of the orchestra pit are often determined by the scale and diversity of voices. Chamber music, on the other hand, reduces this dimension to smaller ensembles and allows for intimate musical interaction. As in a dialogue, diverse opinions collide, new ideas emerge and develop during performance, thus opening up a creative space for spontaneous development.