Name: Rite of Spring
Start: 2026-04-17T20:00:00
Location: Alte Oper

Sergey Khachatryan

Alain Altinoglu

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

Almost a family reunion: hr's chief conductor Alain Altinoglu, born in Paris, has Armenian roots. And Sergey Khachatryan, originally from Yerevan, grew up in Frankfurt as one of the greatest violin talents of recent decades. It's only natural that Armenia's most famous composer is also involved, and a bonus that this even results in a small program focus for the hr Symphony Orchestra under the title "Armenian Soul." Aram Khachaturian's Violin Concerto, composed in 1940, has everything a violinist could wish for: fire, brilliance, the grand cantilena as well as the subtle, yet always perceptible, folkloric touch. And it demands a true virtuoso like Sergey Khachatryan, who says: If he weren't playing the violin, he would have become a race car driver. He always seeks the adrenaline rush, on the podium as well as in life, and he plays every concert with an artistic commitment as if it were his last. Excess: That's also the key word for one of the most famous orchestral works of the 20th century, Igor Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring." It's ballet music, but not of the lighthearted kind—on the contrary, it's an adoration of the earth, rhythmically pounding, with tremendous sonic power. The premiere in 1913 was dominated by astonishment and tumult—the work still takes your breath away today.