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.

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Brad Mehldau & Big Band

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

A program entirely in the spirit of the great American composer, whose music always exudes such a unique nonchalance. Add to that the sound of the hr Big Band, which here interacts seamlessly with the hr Symphony Orchestra – two sonic worlds united for Gershwin, but also for a world premiere by the Frenchman Thierry Escaich . George Gershwin himself brought along horns from Parisian taxis when he returned to the USA after his studies in 1920s Paris – and the unfinished score of a work in which these very horns, along with a few other effect instruments, acoustically illustrate life in the French capital. Gershwin's music was always in tune with the times, which were turbulent – ​​and which he brought to life with unparalleled coolness. Perhaps most famously, this is evident in his "Rhapsody in Blue," in which jazz finds its way into the format of a piano concerto. And what could be cooler than the chief conductor himself casually sitting down at the keys, as if it were nothing at all?

Gershwin

Alte Oper

The good kids become violinists in the orchestra, the cool kids play saxophone and join the big band – wasn't that how it was in school, and still is? Of course, it's a cliché. But big band and symphony orchestra are two very different worlds nonetheless. Here, however – for Gershwin's timeless classics – the two come together, along with Alain Altinoglu and the piano. Gershwin was the man who provided American music with both: the sophistication of the classical orchestral format and the slightly shrill sound of the jazzy, fresh wind section. And on top of that, he also gave us truly immortal hits like "Rhapsody in Blue," in which chief conductor Alain Altinoglu can show that he also cuts a dazzling figure at the keyboard. If, however, something blares out during the orchestral piece "An American in Paris," it's not the fault of any of the hr Big Band. No, Gershwin himself wrote car horns into his score. The good ones play the violin, everyone else wants to play the horn in the hr Symphony Orchestra.

hr-Bigband

Mar 14, 2026

Brad Mehldau & Big Band

13 - 14 Mar, 2025

Gershwin

hr-Bigband