Munich Philharmonic

 

The Munich Philharmonic was founded in 1893 through the private initiative of Franz Kaim, the son of a piano manufacturer. Since then, the orchestra has left an indelible imprint on Munich’s cultural life under the leadership of renowned conductors. In the orchestra’s earliest years – initially under the name »Kaim Orchestra« – conductors like Hans Winderstein, Hermann Zumpe and the Bruckner pupil Ferdinand Löwe guaranteed both a high technical standard of performance and enthusiastic support of contemporary artistry. Right from the outset, their artistic concept included the effort to structure programs and prices to allow access to the concerts by all levels of society. Felix Weingartner, who directed the orchestra from 1898 to 1905, enhanced its international reputation with several tours to other countries.

 

Gustav Mahler directed the orchestra in 1901 and 1910 at the respective world premières of his Fourth and Eighth Symphonies. In November of 1911, the orchestra, then called the »Konzertverein Orchestra« performed the world première of Mahler’s »Das Lied von der Erde« (The Song of the Earth) under Bruno Walter’s direction – only six months after the composer’s death in Vienna.

 

In 2018/19, the Munich Philharmonic celebrated its 125th anniversary. In October 2021, the Munich Philharmonic inaugurated the Isarphilharmonie – the orchestra’s new home and concert hall while the Gasteig is being renovated. The hall was designed by architects »Gerkan, Marg und Partner«, with the acoustics designed by Yasuhisa Toyota and his company Nagata Acoustics. True to the Munich Philharmonics’ new motto, »Being approachable and breaking new ground«, the orchestra is expanding its festival programme and will create new points of access for audiences with formats such as »mphil late« and »Wandelkonzerte« to be held regularly from now on.

 

In February 2023, the Munich Philharmonic appointed Lahav Shani as its principal conductor. Even before taking up his post officially in September 2026, he will conduct six different programmes in the 2024/25 season under the motto »Dreams«, both in Munich and on tour. The Munich Philharmonic’s concerts at Klassik am Odeonsplatz will also take place under his baton.

Program and cast

20 and 22 November 2025
Conductor: Tugan Sokhiev
Piano: Lucas and Arthur Jussen

 

Programme
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
The Hebrides, Concert Overture op. 26

 

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra No. 1 in E major

 

Interval

 

Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 4 in F minor op. 36

 

 

5 and 6 December 2025
Conductor: Han-Na Chang
Cello: Anastasia Kobekina

 

Programme
Gioachino Rossini
Overture to William Tell

 

Franz Schubert
Arpeggione Sonata in A minor D 821 (arranged for cello and orchestra by Antonio Tusa)

 

Interval

 

Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 4 in B major op. 60

 

 

10, 11 and 12 December 2025
Conductor: Paolo Bortolameolli
Violin: María Dueñas

 

Programme
Arturo Márquez
Danzón No. 8

 

Gabriela Ortiz
Altar de cuerda, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (German premiere)

 

Interval

 

Manuel de Falla
The Three-Cornered Hat, excerpts from Suites No. 1 & 2

 

Maurice Ravel
Boléro, ballet for orchestra

 

 

19, 20 and 21 December 2025
Conductor: Lahav Shani
Trumpet: Guido Segers
Preparation: Andreas Herrmann Philharmonischer Chor München

 

Programme
Giovanni Gabrieli
Sonata pian’ e forte from Sacrae Symphoniae

 

Henry Balfour Gardiner
Evening Hymn (arrangement for choir and orchestra by Lahav Shani)

 

Igor Stravinsky
Symphony of Psalms for choir and orchestra

 

Interval

 

Giuseppe Tartini
Trumpet Concerto in D major for trumpet, strings, and basso continuo

 

Joseph Haydn
Symphony No. 92 in G major Hob. I:92 Oxford

 

 

30 and 31 December 2025
Conductor: Eva Ollikainen
Soprano: Tuuli Takala
Mezzo-soprano: Anna Kissjudit
Tenor: Angel Romero
Baritone: Jóhann Kristinsson
Preparation: Andreas Herrmann Philharmonischer Chor München

 

Programme
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 9 in D minor op. 125

 

 

9 and 10 January 2026
Conductor: Andrea Marcon
Soprano: Julia Lezhneva

 

Programme
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Overture to The Marriage of Figaro KV 492

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Ei parte … senti … ah no! – Per pietà, ben mio, perdona, Recitative and Aria of Fiordiligi from Così fan tutte KV 588

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
L’amerò, sarò costante, Aria of Aminta from Il re pastore KV 208

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony in C major KV 338

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Parto, ma tu, ben mio, Aria of Sesto from La clemenza di Tito KV 621

 

Interval

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Exsultate, jubilate, Motet for soprano and orchestra KV 165

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony in E-flat major KV 543

 

 

21 and 23 January 2026
Conductor: Wayne Marshall
Cello: Floris Mijnders

 

Programme
Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Suite from the film music Devotion

 

Theo Mackeben
Symphonic Ballad for cello and orchestra

 

Interval

 

Leonard Slatkin
Kinah

 

Leonard Bernstein
Fancy Free

 

 

28, 29 and 30 January 2026
Conductor and Piano: Lahav Shani

 

Programme
Claude Debussy
Prélude à L’Après-midi d’un faune

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Concerto in B major KV 595

 

Interval

 

Arnold Schoenberg
Pelleas und Melisande, Symphonic Poem op. 5

 

 

14 and 15 February 2026
Conductor: Brad Lubman
Violin: Leila Josefowicz
Preparation: Andreas Herrmann Philharmonischer Chor München

 

Programme
Steve Reich
Music for Ensemble and Orchestra

 

Oliver Knussen
Violin Concerto op. 30

 

Interval

 

John Adams
Harmonium for choir and orchestra

 

 

25, 26 and 27 February 2026
Conductor: Antonello Manacorda
Piano: Igor Levit

 

Programme
Toshio Hosokawa
Blossoming II

 

Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 2 in D major op. 36

 

Interval

 

Johannes Brahms
Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major op. 83

 

 

6 and 7 March 2026
Conductor: Andrew Manze
Mezzo-soprano: Beth Taylor
Tenor: Andrew Staples
Bass: Andrew Foster-Williams
Preparation: Andreas Herrmann Philharmonischer Chor München

 

Programme
Edward Elgar
The Dream of Gerontius op. 38

 

 

11 and 12 March 2026
Conductor: Lahav Shani
Piano: Rudolf Buchbinder

 

Programme
Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major op. 19

 

Interval

 

Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 4 in E minor op. 98

 

 

28 and 29 March 2026
Conductor: Elim Chan
Violin: Augustin Hadelich

 

Programme
Noriko Koide
Swaddling Silk and Gossamer Rain

 

Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky
Violin Concerto in D major op. 35

 

Interval

 

Edward Elgar
Enigma Variations op. 36

 

 

17 and 18 April 2026
Conductor: Raphaël Pichon

 

Programme
Jean-Philippe Rameau
L’Apothéose de la Danse, imaginary orchestral suite (Dances from Les Indes Galantes, Les Fêtes d’Hébé, Castor et Pollux, Les Boréades, and others, compiled by Raphaël Pichon)

 

Interval

 

Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 7 in A major op. 92

 

 

23 and 24 April 2026
Conductor: Lahav Shani
Piano: Seong-Jin Cho

 

Programme
Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major op. 15

 

Interval

 

Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 1 in D major Titan

 

 

23 and 24 May 2026
Conductor: Tarmo Peltokoski
Piano: Yuja Wang

 

Programme
Jean Sibelius
Finlandia op. 26

 

Einojuhani Rautavaara
Piano Concerto No. 1 op. 45

 

Interval

 

Ralph Vaughan Williams
Symphony No. 2 A London Symphony (final version 1933/36)

 

 

29 and 30 May 2026
Conductor: Alain Altinoglu
Piano: Giorgi Gigashvili

 

Programme
Modest Mussorgsky
Prelude to Khovanshchina (arrangement by Dmitri Shostakovich)

 

Aram Khachaturian
Piano Concerto in D-flat major

 

Interval

 

Georges Bizet
L’Arlésienne, Orchestral Suites Nos. 1 & 2

 

 

13 and 14 June 2026
Conductor: Jakub Hrůša
Soprano: Corinne Winters
Baritone: Jiří Brückler
Preparation: Andreas Herrmann Philharmonischer Chor München

 

Programme
Gustav Mahler
Adagietto from Symphony No. 5

 

Richard Strauss
Four Last Songs, after poems by Hermann Hesse and Joseph von Eichendorff, for soprano and orchestra

 

Interval

 

Bohuslav Martinů
Field Mass for baritone, male choir, and ensemble H 279

 

Alexander Borodin
Polovtsian Dances from the opera Prince Igor

 

 

18, 19 and 20 June 2026
Conductor: Zubin Mehta
Clarinet: Alexandra Gruber

 

Programme
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Clarinet Concerto in A major KV 622

 

Interval

 

Anton Bruckner
Symphony No. 9 in D minor

 

 

24 and 25 June 2026
Conductor and Soprano: Barbara Hannigan

 

Programme
Aaron Copland
Dance Symphony

 

Joseph Haydn
Symphony No. 90 in C major Hob.I:90

 

Interval

 

Jacques Offenbach
Gaîté Parisienne, ballet suite for orchestra (compiled by Manuel Rosenthal)

 

Kurt Weill
Selected Songs

 

 

3 and 4 July 2026
Conductor: Petr Popelka
Violin: Isabelle Faust

 

Programme
Antonín Dvořák
Violin Concerto in A minor op. 53

 

Interval

 

Hans Werner Henze
Sebastian im Traum, Salzburg Night Music after a poem by Georg Trakl

 

Igor Stravinsky
The Firebird, 1919 orchestral suite