Name: New Vocal Soloists / Klangforum Wien / Vimbayi Kaziboni
Start: 2026-03-28T19:30:00
Location: Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

Experience the captivating world of modern orchestral music with Klangforum Wien's series of unique events. From the dreamlike compositions of Unsuk Chin to the vivid expressions of Alex Paxton, these performances showcase the creative prowess of contemporary composers and performers. Held at prestigious venues like the Wiener Konzerthaus and Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, each event promises an unforgettable auditory adventure. Join us as we delve into the intricacies of these imaginative soundscapes and the artists who bring them to life.

A Sonic Journey: Exploring the Boundaries of Modern Orchestral Music

Prepare to embark on an auditory voyage with Klangforum Wien's lineup of 2026 events, showcasing imaginative compositions and innovative performances. From Unsuk Chin's dreamlike orchestral soundscapes in 'Unlimited Time' to Alex Paxton's vibrant and lively 'How to Eat Your Sexuality,' each event promises an immersive experience. Discover how artists like Enno Poppe, Gerhard Stäbler, and Isabel Mundry redefine musical narratives, offering a fresh perspective on contemporary orchestral and choral music.

Exploring New Sonic Realms: A Journey through Klangforum Wien's 2026 Events

Klangforum Wien is set to captivate audiences with a series of groundbreaking events in 2026, showcasing the brilliance of contemporary orchestral and choral compositions. From 'Unlimited Time,' which delves into the imaginative power of Unsuk Chin's music, to 'Archipelagic Sounds,' unveiling diverse soundscapes, each event promises a unique auditory experience. Artisans like Enno Poppe, Gerhard Stäbler, and Alex Paxton offer compositions that challenge conventional norms, inviting listeners to explore new dimensions of sound. These events are not just concerts, but a celebration of innovation in music.

A Symphony of Innovation: Exploring Klangforum Wien's Cutting-Edge Events

In the realm of contemporary orchestral music, Klangforum Wien is orchestrating a series of events that defy conventional boundaries and challenge the listener's imagination. From the dream-like landscapes of Unsuk Chin to the archipelagic sounds envisioned by Luxa M. Schüttler, these events promise to take audiences on an unprecedented auditory journey. Set in the prestigious venues of the Wiener Konzerthaus and Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, these performances feature a diverse lineup of talented artists and composers, each contributing unique creative works that push the limits of compositional imagination.

Unbounded Melodies: A Journey Through Klangforum Wien's Orchestral Innovations

Vimbayi Kaziboni

Daniel Gloger

Johanna Vargas

Susanne Leitz-Lorey

Truike van der Poel

Martin Nagy

Guillermo Anzorena

Andreas Fischer

Neue Vocalsolisten

Elbphilharmonie

Klangforum Wien

Gamelan music originated on the islands of Bali and Java many hundreds of years ago. It is played in a group on gongs, metallophones and drums. Its unique sound already fascinated composers like Debussy and has many fans in Europe to this day. The Elbphilharmonie owns a particularly fine ensemble of gamelan instruments, and this workshop offers the opportunity to try them out, and to hear what a remarkable sound they produce when they all are played together.

Workshop: Kosmos Gamelan

NDR Chamber Concert

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

Described as "one of the most influential pianists of the past decades" (ARTE), American Brad Mehldau delights fans far beyond the jazz world. This is due not only to Mehldau's extraordinary improvisational skills, but also to his compositions, which reflect his deep love of the architecture of music as well as his enthusiasm for good pop music. As part of Mehldau's "Reflektor" festival, some of his compositions can now be heard in new big band arrangements. Mehldau performs them with the hr-Bigband under Darcy James Argue.

Brad Mehldau & Big Band

This duo, which has been playing together blindly for over three decades, forms the grand finale of the "Reflektor" festival at the Elbphilharmonie, curated by Brad Mehldau. Pianist Mehldau, equally influenced by Franz Schubert, Keith Jarrett, and Radiohead, joins bassist Christian McBride, big band founder and great swing master.

Brad Mehldau / Christian McBride

A single hand must conquer the entire keyboard. Maurice Ravel's Concerto for the Left Hand was originally composed for the one-armed pianist Paul Wittgenstein. Yuja Wang, the extravagant, top-class pianist, takes on this challenge of extreme dexterity and subsequently plays a second piano concerto. In Einojuhani Rautavaara's work, composed in 1969, cantabile melodies and arpeggios meet a modern sound language – a powerful firework display between tradition and innovation.

Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra / Yuja Wang / Esa-Pekka Salonen

La Scala in Milan is one of the most renowned, traditional, and beautiful opera houses in the world. It goes without saying that the orchestra also enjoys an excellent international reputation. The orchestra's last Elbphilharmonie concert two years ago, under the baton of its Milan-born chief conductor, Ricardo Chailly, was hailed by the Hamburger Abendblatt as a "nougat treat on the Sunday family table." Back then, the program featured music by Italian operatic giant Giuseppe Verdi; now the experienced team returns to the Grand Hall with powerful works by Russian grandmasters Piotr I. Tchaikovsky and Sergei Prokofiev, and is joined by Alexandre Kantorov, one of today's most sought-after pianists.

La Scala Philharmonic / Alexandre Kantorow / Riccardo Chailly

It's about to get exciting! When piano-playing brothers Lucas and Arthur Jussen join forces with top drummers Alexej Gerassimez and Emil Kuyumcuyan, musical sparks fly. All four already know each other from previous tours. Audiences can therefore look forward to a well-rehearsed team whose enthusiasm for experimentation, sense of rhythm, and outstanding virtuosity promise a veritable firework display on keys and drumsticks. In addition to original compositions for this unusual ensemble, including works by Steve Reich, the program also includes arrangements of repertoire classics such as the Symphonic Dances from Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story and George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.

Lucas & Arthur Jussen / Alexej Gerassimez / Emil Kuyumcuyan

This program revolves almost entirely around William Shakespeare. After all, the English poet, with his immortal and timeless plays, has inspired more composers and genres in music history than almost anyone else. The American James Gaffigan, current General Music Director of the Komische Oper Berlin, follows this trail in his return to the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra.

NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra / Lawrence Power / James Gaffigan

Celebrated for its innovative and imaginative programming, the Manchester Collective repeatedly succeeds in uncovering exciting thematic threads and establishing unexpected connections. In their new program, "Albion, Now," they take the audience on a journey through the contemporary British music scene. Christian Mason's vibrant "Sardinian Songbook" encounters Errollyn Wallen's lyrical sound language of "Five Postcards," Anna Meredith's wild swarm of flies in "Tuggemo," in which strings and electronica buzz around each other, and other discoverable new creations from Great Britain—formerly known as Albion. The Manchester Collective thus draws on the rich world of myth and legend of old England and transforms it into a contemporary soundscape.

Manchester Collective

"Anyone else could cobble together the main themes from his scraps," Johannes Brahms enthused about Antonín Dvořák's melodic ingenuity. He first encountered the young Bohemian's works in 1973 – and was completely captivated. He supported Dvořák wherever he could, and a close friendship developed between the two composers. It is therefore extremely fitting that the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia's concert will feature works by Brahms and Dvořák side by side. Star pianist Daniil Trifonov will play the Hamburg composer's exhilarating Second Piano Concerto, while the second half of the concert will feature Antonín Dvořák's magnificent Seventh Symphony under the direction of the newly appointed orchestra leader, Daniel Harding.

Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia / Daniil Trifonov / Daniel Harding

Female composers, cultural identities, contemporary music: Junyan Chen's interests are as broad as her talent is impressive. At the 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition, she not only won second prize, but also the Chamber Music Prize and the Alexandra Dariescu Award – a talent worth keeping an eye on! At ProArte, the young artist will search for connections between times and places with a multifaceted program: works by François Couperin will be presented alongside Maurice Ravel's homage to his fellow Baroque composer. Ravel's famous "La valse" and works by Olivier Messiaen reveal further facets of French soundscapes for solo piano. And with Amy Beach's "Variations on Balkan Themes," a transatlantic cultural encounter joins the pattern of connecting lines.

Discover Talent: Junyan Chen / Piano Recital

When you hear Sir Simon Rattle speak about Gustav Mahler, it seems as if he knew the composer personally. But it probably feels the same if, like the chief conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, you have been engaged with the deeply personal and autobiographical music of the late Romantic composer for more than 50 years. Mahler once said that his symphonies contained an entire world – and no one can guide orchestra and audience through these intricate worlds better than Sir Simon Rattle.

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra & Choir / Sir Simon Rattle

"A sound party that sounds like Beethoven on speed later on," said the "Stuttgarter Zeitung" after the premiere of Alex Paxton's "How to eat your sexuality" in February 2025. Never overly intellectual, but rather completely direct, wild and colorful, the three-part work by the successful Brit comes across, whose music the "New York Times" not without reason described as "the most cheerful sound in a long time." 

New Vocal Soloists / Klangforum Wien / Vimbayi Kaziboni

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