Whether it's raining, storming, or snowing outside, we'll play our way into spring! The New Year's Concert of the Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt features waltzes, polkas, marches, arias, and duets, lively and melodious music by Johann Strauss, Robert Stolz, Paul Lincke, and many other masters of light music. The great tradition of the Viennese New Year's Concerts will be duly honored, with gems by Vivaldi and Dvořák, and delicacies like "Veronika, der Lenz ist da" (Veronica, Spring Is Here) and the brilliant "Frühlingsstimmenwalzer " (Spring Voices Waltz) – the finest entertainment all about spring.

EPSG:4326

Concert for the New Year 2026 – When the white lilac blooms again

Alte Oper

Mendelssohn was influenced less by Prussian austerity and dramatic pathos than his comprehensive education, evangelical piety and, in musical terms, adherence to classical form. The three movements in his violin concerto flow seamlessly into one another. We're delighted that Arabella Steinbacher is back, playing one of the most popular violin concertos there is.

5th Sunday & Monday Symphonic Concerts

His last, great symphony in C major "has resonated among us like none since Beethoven's," wrote Schumann, who so deeply revered Schubert's symphonic legacy. With Kent Nagano, it finds a conductor here who, like few others, can open ears anew to this singular masterpiece. Kent Nagano, however, always brings contemporary music to the forefront. He is particularly fond of the music of Henri Dutilleux, who died in 2013 at the age of 97: Dutilleux was considered the last French classic of modernism and a composer who valued lyricism, poetry, and iridescent timbre. And, as is especially true of the cello concerto "Tout un monde lointain…", the virtuosity—the cello, under the hands of Jan Vogler, is required to perform truly acrobatic feats. Yet Dutilleux never lost touch with his listeners. He, who can be considered the heir of Maurice Ravel in particular, once said that for every young composer there is "the moment when he has to, so to speak, kill his father. Perhaps I haven't done that thoroughly enough. But perhaps that's precisely why my music is more accessible to the public. Although it was never my intention to be understood. I'm simply searching for my absolute truth."

Schubert Symphony in C major

Guest performance

CityPalais

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

Podcast link: https://youtu.be/4hagYvrYbuM

The Artelize Podcast and Kasper Holten - Pedefining Opera for the modern world

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d36M5Hi6O80

The Artelize Podcast - A legacy of innovation in Opera: Celebrating Marc A. Scorca

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59E40S_EQSY

The Artelize Podcast: A love letter that was never sent

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THv6htilWtI

The Artelize Podcast and Adolfo Corrado: Mediterranean flavors, opera and social media

A year of political and musical upheaval. The title of French composer Elsa Barraine's 2nd symphony is the Russian word for »war«, a work commissioned by the French Ministry for Culture in 1938. After the annexation of Austria and the Munich Agreement war was in the air, and subsequent events proved her right. But the work hints at a distant future. The war in the 1st movement is followed by a funeral march in the 2nd before the music returns to life in the finale.

6th Sunday & Monday Symphonic Concerts

Precocious, prodigy, highly gifted – how can one describe Felix Mendelssohn's musical achievements at an age when today's teenagers are busy striving for high scores in video games? After all, he was already 17 when he wrote an overture that, as a masterpiece, absolutely belongs in the top 10 of classical music. Felix Mendelssohn – he wasn't called the "Mozart of the 19th century" for nothing: no other composer's music sounds so effortless, so ethereal, as if conjured from thin air. The best example of this is his incidental music to Shakespeare's comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream," this literary classic from the realm of fairies, whose plot is so intricate yet whose wit is so exuberant. Everything takes place in just a few hours of a single night, but when everyone involved is as hyperactive as they are here, and when magic potions come into play, anything can happen. Mendelssohn's music is correspondingly magical: weightless like elves, surprising like the mischievous imp Puck, shimmering like something from distant fantasies. After this pure Mendelssohn evening with the hr-Sinfonieorchester and its chief conductor Alain Altinoglu, a place on cloud nine is guaranteed.

Midsummer Night's Dream

Guest Concert in Frankfurt

Alte Oper Frankfurt

Beauty bordering on the unreal: This is what connects the music from A Midsummer Night's Dream and the Brahms chants with Unsuk Chin's Cello Concerto. The bright, ethereal radiance of Mendelssohn, which seems to defy grounding, is mirrored here in the celestial sounds of the Korean composer. If musicians remained in their comfort zone, the sonic result wouldn't move them, says Unsuk Chin. That's why she always pushes her performers to their limits with what she writes for them. Thus, in this highly sensitive work, not only cellist Alisa Weilerstein, driven to extreme technical realms, but also the musicians of the hr Symphony Orchestra find themselves in a unique and demanding sonic universe – which then superbly prepares both performers and listeners for "A Midsummer Night's Dream," the incidental music by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. For here, a magical literary world is captured in music with a weightless delicacy, as no composer has ever achieved before or since.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Concert in Frankfurt

For more than 50 years, he has been immersed in the sound world of Johann Sebastian Bach, and even his own name carries an almost magical resonance: Philippe Herreweghe, the Belgian conductor whose music of every era sounds so incredibly clear and elegant. Accordingly, there was considerable excitement when, a few years ago, he declared that he was now "a bit tired of Bach." All the more valuable, then, are the programs that allow one to encounter Philippe Herreweghe and Bach together – as here, with the B minor Suite featuring the popular "Badinerie" and the soprano solo cantata "Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut" (My Heart Swims in Blood), featuring the renowned Dorothee Mields, known for her slender and beautiful soprano. For Philippe Herreweghe, one thing was always clear: he absolutely did not want to be reduced to being a Baroque conductor. That, he says, would be "like an actor only declaiming Shakespeare or Molière. The more I do Bruckner, the better I understand Bach, and vice versa." "That's a good interplay." Not Bruckner, but Franz Schubert is now on his "Baroque+" program, specifically the so-called "unfinished" symphony. Here, too, he will rely entirely on the virtues of clarity and the meticulous attention to detail that make his interpretations so profound. "Others," says Herreweghe, "defend their interpretative freedom, but that's just false routine. I defend the score."

Unfinished

Hessischer Rundfunk

As a conductor, he has the chance to "paint with a huge brush," says Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider. As a violinist, the brush is considerably smaller. Szeps-Znaider knows and can do both: He is one of the few who are equally successful as a violin soloist and conductor, often performing both roles in one evening – as in this concert with the hr Symphony Orchestra. "I was simply curious and only knew the diverse orchestral and operatic repertoire as a listener," explains the Copenhagen-born musician with Polish roots, justifying his dual career. "Ultimately, the repertoire for solo violinists was too narrow for me." And narrowness simply doesn't suit this artist's understanding of music, who is incredibly reflective and undogmatic, even when dealing with such well-known violin concertos as the popular one in G minor by Max Bruch. Questioning every note in relation to the whole is Szeps-Znaider's credo – "that's why playing it feels to me as if I'm discovering the piece for the very first time. It's never boring." Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider can be experienced as both violinist and conductor, performing two absolute classics – Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 and Dvořák's Symphony No. 7 – as well as a surprising orchestral work by the featured artist Unsuk Chin.

Dvořák 7

Music is always a reflection of its time. Bernstein's Age of Anxiety, written between 1947 - 1949, inspired by a poem by Auden, describes people's uncertain and changeable feelings after World War II. The poem's about four young people drowning their fears and loneliness in a New York bar, desperately seeking stability and faith in a world they no longer recognise.

7th Sunday & Monday Symphonic Concerts

Franz Schubert's Fifth Symphony is a surprise: light, elegant, and almost chamber-music-like in its transparency, it stands out clearly from his other symphonies – delicate rather than weighty, thoughtful rather than dramatic. No wonder it is often called "the lovely one." In this moderated concert for school classes in grades 8 to 10, solo bassoonist Theo Plath, together with the hr Symphony Orchestra, takes a close look at the work. How does a symphony with such a lean instrumentation work? Where does Schubert's refinement shine through? A focused look at a masterpiece straddling the Classical and Romantic periods – compact, sonorous, and to the point.

Schubert's Chamber Symphony

The adventurous tale of Peter and the Wolf is world-famous. Sergei Prokofiev composed enchanting music for this beloved fairy tale about the Russian boy who embarks on a carefree morning stroll, unaware of the great adventures that await him. The Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra offers listeners of all ages the chance to experience Peter's adventures live and to follow the famous sounds of the oboe quacking like a duck, the clarinet creeping in like a cat on "velvet paws," and the bassoon sounding like a concerned grandfather offering Peter his often-overlooked advice. This and much more awaits you at this family concert by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Peter and the Wolf

"Mahler's soul sings its farewell!" – there are countless famous words like this about the Ninth Symphony. And often, they speak of farewell, of the end, of the abyss. This profoundly moving work is a sonic endpoint – and at the same time a high point of the entire genre, of the era. "The orchestra is famous for its Mahler interpretations, and I will continue that," promised Alain Altinoglu in 2021 when he took up the post as chief conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. The Frenchman's approach to Mahler is detailed, attentive to structure, crystallizing colors. And in the Ninth, the colors are not exactly the brightest, naturally, because: This is not about the failure in the pursuit of personal happiness, but about the failure of the world as a whole. It is not only Mahler the man who sees himself on the brink of the abyss, but rather humanity itself – the Ninth as a universal requiem. One of the famous sayings about this work was coined by Arnold Schoenberg: "It seems the Ninth is a boundary. Whoever wants to go beyond it must leave." For: "Those who have written a Ninth Symphony were too close to the afterlife."

Mahler 9

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.

Rite of Spring

It ain't easy to speak while you're playing an instrument, without getting stuck or losing the rhythm. Jazz musicians sometimes can.  ‘Speaking Drums’ takes another approach with the drummer speaking rhythmic syllables, passing the rhythm on to his instrument, teaching it to speak, so to speak, until it can alone. The first two movements are based on three poems by Sándor Weöres, and the third on a poem by Jayadeva. An unusual work to look forward by the Hungarian composer Peter Eötvös, who died last year, and Alexej Gerassimez, who returns for another concert in this series this season.

8th Sunday & Monday Symphonic Concerts

Sir Simon Rattle, much honored!, is one of the truly brilliant musical personalities of our time. This conductor, who always inspires those around him, is characterized by verve, seriousness, and emphasis, as well as his refreshingly unbridled enthusiasm for music.

Chamber Orchestra of Europe | Sir Simon Rattle

Museum Ludwig

The Management Symphony – comprised of around 100 executives from the German business world who are passionate about making music at a high level. For their annual rehearsal period culminating in a concert, they invite renowned orchestras to act as coaches and hosts. This season, they are joined by the hr-Sinfonieorchester (Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra) and its chief conductor, Alain Altinoglu. The result of their collaborative work can be experienced in this concert, which presents a symphony that was once a departure into a new world, a romantic and fantastical one. The "Symphonie fantastique" takes an artist's life as its program, and the audience is right there with them. They experience a sonic intoxication unlike anything heard before – so vivid, so powerful, and so dramatic. This artist is captivated by a woman he adores, experiences her in a waltz-filled frenzy at a ball, seeks tranquility on a country outing, has visions of his execution while under the influence of opium – and finally dreams of his burial, accompanied by witches and grotesque faces, by funeral bells and a parodied "Dies irae." The dark Romanticism with all its demons enters the music of its time – this too is a merit that Berlioz deserves with his truly fantastic symphony.

Symphonic Side Step

Inviting Finnish conductor Dalia Stasevska guarantees beaming faces in both the orchestra and the audience. And a concert program that is never run-of-the-mill. Here, then: this year's celebrated composer, Maurice Ravel, in dialogue with the master of Polish modernism, Witold Lutosławski. Maurice Ravel is represented by two of his most dynamic works: "La valse," this grotesque lament for the Viennese waltz, which here spirals into the abyss with greater speed and intoxication. And the Piano Concerto in G major, with its jazz elements, entirely in keeping with the fashion of the 1930s. Breathless as the times themselves, this music is a relentless, frantic pursuit. Joining the hr-Sinfonieorchester at the piano is the Frenchman Bertrand Chamayou, for whom Ravel's music has been part of his DNA since his early days at the conservatory. Ravel himself was a regular guest in New York jazz clubs, and so Chamayou knows: This music should sound "like a great, ingenious improvisation." Rigor, yes; brittleness, no—that is the ideal of the pianist whose CD recordings of Ravel's complete piano works were hailed ten years ago as "his masterpiece" (FonoForum) and "a sensation" (Stereoplay).

Orchestral events in Frankfurt am Main

Concert for the New Year ...

Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt

5th Sunday & Monday Symph...

Oper Frankfurt

Schubert Symphony in C ma...

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

Guest performance

WDR Sinfonieorchester

The Artelize Podcast and ...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast - A ...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast: A l...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast and ...

Artelize

6th Sunday & Monday Symph...

Oper Frankfurt

Midsummer Night's Dream

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

Guest Concert in Frankfur...

MDR Radio Choir

A Midsummer Night's Dream...

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

Concert in Frankfurt

Wiener Philharmoniker

Unfinished

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

Dvořák 7

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

7th Sunday & Monday Symph...

Oper Frankfurt

Schubert's Chamber Sympho...

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

Peter and the Wolf

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

Mahler 9

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

Rite of Spring

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

8th Sunday & Monday Symph...

Oper Frankfurt

Chamber Orchestra of Euro...

Chamber Orchestra of Europe

Symphonic Side Step

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

La valse

Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra