Schubert’s "Unfinished Symphony" sets the stage for the evening. Though premiered and left with only two completed movements, Schubert considered this symphony in B minor a finished piece. Commenced in the autumn of 1822, this work marked a point in the 25-year-old Viennese composer’s exploration of new musical landscapes.

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28 May 2025  Cologne

Museum Ludwig

»Listen carefully to all folk songs! They are a treasure trove of the most beautiful melodies and open your eyes to the nature of different cultures.« Robert Schumann once noted these wise words in his collection of »Musical House and Life Rules« – and Jakub Hrůša loves to rummage through the various treasure chests of late Romanticism with its manifold folkloristic styles. He constantly includes pieces by his beloved composer Dvořák on the programme – even the lesser-known ones, as he sees him as an artist »who is always interesting, in every work«. And so we now have the rarely performed »Heldenlied« to discover: a tone poem from 1898, which grippingly revolves around different moods from happiness to sorrow. For one of the most famous violin concertos from 1878, which we have long had on our wish list, we welcome Ray Chen, a gifted virtuoso: he loves playing with us and can now immerse himself in the emotions alongside our orchestra – because the often emotionally fragile Tchaikovsky always wanted to express »all the agony and ecstasy of love« in his music. For fans of sophisticated melodic works, we conclude with a large load of these: the Symphony No. 5 by Martinů, one of Jakub Hrůša’s favourite composers, revels in his typical soundscapes – with a rich array of colours, yearning parts, pulsating rhythms and hymn-like pathos.

Guest in Cologne

Special concert 2025

Guest Concert

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

The Harlem Gospel Singers are finally back! With plenty of groove, they spread hope and joy of life and strengthen the sense of community. Experience great songs like Amazing Grace, Swing Down Sweet Chariot, Oh Happy Day or Michael Jackson's Earth Song in a gospel arrangement - performed by a 6-person all-star band and eight outstanding US gospel artists.

The Harlem Gospel Singers

And off we go – New Year's Concert

The New Year's concert with choral jubilation awakens hope for peaceful coexistence among all people. Friedrich Schiller wrote his poem "Ode to Joy", which soon occupied Beethoven. It is exactly 200 years since the German premiere of the 9th Symphony, in which Beethoven champions the great and sublime, took place in Aachen. It is not without reason that this theme of the final movement became the European anthem.

"Joy, beautiful spark of the gods"

She loves baroque music, opera – and song. Jeanine De Bique, who comes from Trinidad and Tobago, has enchanted the international music world in no time. Now she is presenting a rare program in the Cologne Philharmonic Hall.

Jeanine De Bique | Aaron Wajnberg

Mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta, the Ensemble Modern under the direction of HK Gruber and the ensemble amarcord – a concert dedicated to voices. The singers perform a varied program, with a focus on modern works.

Weill: "The Seven Deadly Sins"

Chopin's 1st Piano Concerto | Beethoven's 4th Symphony

Experience your little break from everyday life in the Cologne Philharmonic Hall - inspiring, touching, authentic. A place full of music, for an unusual lunch break, a break from the noises of the city or just a break from everyday life.

PhilharmonieLunch

If the factor of continuity alone were a quality feature of contemporary jazz, one would inevitably have to associate it with the Berlin pianist Julia Hülsmann and her partners who have proven themselves over decades.

Julia Hülsmann Quartet

Hardly any other artist today is as versatile! Plácido Domingo is a singer and conductor, tenor and, since 2009, baritone, with more than 150 opera roles, celebrated by audiences on stages all over the world.

Plácido Domingo

Ins Weite – Special Concert

He began his career as a member of the Vienna Boys' Choir, then studied piano, first in his hometown of Vienna, then in Hanover, where Igor Levit became his mentor. At the 2022 ARD Music Competition, he not only won first prize, but also seven special prizes.

Rising Star: Lukas Sternath

German Brass owes its success to its sound. As a pioneer among brass ensembles, German Brass has not only written music history since its founding in 1974, but has also continued its success story. The ten solo wind players and university professors are distinguished by the fact that they uncompromisingly create the genuine sound of their ensemble in concert. Sound is celebrated at German Brass - and is an experience for the audience.

German Brass

Iveta Apkalna has described all the organ compositions written by Latvian composers as a "mirror of her soul". As part of the portrait series dedicated to her, the Latvian is now dedicating an entire concert evening to her homeland for the first time.

Iveta Apkalna

What could be more splendid, more magnificent, more powerful than the music composed for the wedding of the Sun King Louis XIV? Vincent Dumestre and his baroque ensemble Le Poème Harmonique convey an impression of the unique splendor of this wedding music.

The Harmonic Poem | Vincent Dumestre

It is a guarantee for a fresh attitude to life, vitality and sensuality: the "Vienna Johann Strauss Concert Gala". Since 1996, the Austrian export hit with Kendlinger's K&K Philharmonic Orchestra has captivated more than 1.4 million fans in 19 European countries - a musical fountain of youth that even kings and emperors would enjoy!

Vienna Johann Strauss Concert Gala

Since its inception in 2009, the MCO Academy has established itself as a leading educational model, offering young musicians a high-quality orchestral experience and a platform for international exchange. Beyond audition training, physical awareness classes, individual coaching, and orchestral playing, the Academy offers chamber music workshops that highlight the MCO’s signature chamber music approach. Augmented by a mentoring program, career talks, and various other activities, the Academy promotes creative and independent thinking, offering a comprehensive and contemporary education for young professional musicians.

Events in Köln

28 May 2025 Cologne

Mahler Chamber Orchestra

Guest in Cologne

Bamberger Symphoniker

Special concert 2025

Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie

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Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie

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