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

October 18, 2024 & October 20, 2024
Conductor: Tugan Sokhiev

 

Program
Anton Bruckner
Symphony No. 8 in C minor

 

 

November 29, 2024 & November 30, 2024
Conductor: Maxim Emelyanychev
Piano: Alexander Melnikov

 

Program
Sergei Prokofiev
Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16

 

 - Interval -

 

Alfred Schnittke
Gogol Suite, after the music for the play The Government Inspector (Arranged by Gennady Roschdestvensky)

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 35 in D major, K. 385 "Haffner"

 

 

December 7, 2024 & December 8, 2024
Conductor: Nathalie Stutzmann
Oboe: Marie-Luise Modersohn
Clarinet: László Kuti
Bassoon: Romain Lucas
Horn: Bertrand Chatenet

 

Program
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sinfonia Concertante for Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn in E-flat major, K. 297b

 

Richard Wagner
Siegfried Idyll

 

 - Interval -

 

John Dowland
Lachrimae Antiquae (Old Tears) from Lachrimae, or Seven Teares

 

Robert Schumann
Symphony No. 2 in C major, Op. 61

 

 

December 12, 2024 (YOUTH CONCERT*) & December 13, 2024
Conductor: Dima Slobodeniouk
Piano: Olli Mustonen
Moderation: Malte Arkona*

 

Program
Einojuhani Rautavaara
Piano Concerto No. 3 "Gift of Dreams"

 

Esa-Pekka Salonen
Insomnia for Orchestra

 

 - Interval -

 

Peter I. Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op. 13 "Winter Dreams"

 

 

December 19, 2024, December 20, 2024 & December 21, 2024
Conductor: Andrea Marcon
Oboe: Andrey Godik
Violin: Julian Shevlin
Soprano: Miriam Feuersinger
Soprano: Lea Elisabeth Müller
Alto: Matthias Lucht
Tenor: Raphael Höhn
Baritone: Tobias Berndt
Recorder: Irene Liebau
Recorder: Hojin Kwon
Preparation: Andreas Herrmann
Munich Philharmonic Choir

 

Program
Johann Sebastian Bach
Overture (Suite) No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068

 

Antonio Vivaldi
Concerto for Violin, Oboe, Orchestra, and Basso Continuo in G minor, RV 576

 

Johann Sebastian Bach
Overture (Suite) No. 4 in D major, BWV 1069

 

 - Interval -

 

Johann Sebastian Bach
Magnificat, BWV 243

 

 

December 29, 2024, December 30, 2024 & December 31, 2024 - NEW YEAR'S CONCERTS
Conductor: Nicholas Collon
Soprano: Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha
Alto: Karen Cargill
Tenor: Maximilian Schmitt
Baritone: Christopher Maltman
Preparation: Andreas Herrmann
Munich Philharmonic Choir

 

Program
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125

 

 

January 11, 2025 & January 12, 2025
Conductor: Santtu-Matias Rouvali
Cello: Alban Gerhardt

 

Program
Duke Ellington
Three Black Kings

 

Julia Wolfe
Wind in My Hair, Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (German Premiere)

 

 - Interval -

 

Charles Ives
Symphony No. 2

 

 

January 15, 2025 & January 16, 2025
Conductor: Brad Lubman
Piano: Alice Sara Ott
Preparation: Andreas Herrmann
Munich Philharmonic Choir

 

Program
John Adams
Christian Zeal and Activity for Chamber Ensemble

 

Bryce Dessner
Piano Concerto, commissioned work and German Premiere

 

Philip Glass
Itaipú, Symphonic Portrait for Choir and Orchestra

 

 

January 24, 2025 & January 25, 2025
Conductor and Soprano: Barbara Hannigan

 

Program
Charles Ives
At the River for Voice and Piano

 

Charles Ives
From the Steeples and the Mountains

 

Ruth Crawford Seeger
Rissolty Rossolty

 

Wallingford Riegger
Study in Sonority, Op. 7

 

Carl Ruggles
Sun-Treader for Large Orchestra

 

 - Interval -

 

Richard Rodgers
The Carousel Waltz

 

George Gershwin
Porgy and Bess - A Symphonic Picture (arranged by Robert Russell Bennett)

 

 

January 29, 2025 & January 30, 2025
Conductor: Lahav Shani
Violin: Hilary Hahn

 

Program
Louise Farrenc
Overture No. 2 in E-flat major

 

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64

 

 - Interval -

 

Peter I. Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64

 

 

February 14, 2025 & February 16, 2025
Conductor: Thomas Hengelbrock

 

Program
Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 9 in D major

 

 

February 19, 2025 & February 20, 2025
Conductor: Philippe Jordan
Piano: Jean-Yves Thibaudet

 

Program
Josef Strauss
Dynamiden. Secret Attraction, Waltz, Op. 173

 

Franz Liszt
Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major

 

 - Interval -

 

Richard Strauss
Suite from the Opera Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59 for Orchestra (arranged by Philippe Jordan)

 

 

March 7, 2025 & March 8, 2025
Conductor: Jukka-Pekka Saraste
Piano: Fazil Say
Trumpet: Alexandre Baty

 

Program
Jouni Kaipainen
Sisyphus’ Dream, Op. 47

 

Dmitri Shostakovich
Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Op. 35 for Piano, Trumpet, and String Orchestra

 

 - Interval -

 

Jean Sibelius
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43

 

 

March 12, 2025 & March 13, 2025
Conductor: John Adams
Soprano: Christiane Karg

 

Program
John Adams
Short Ride in a Fast Machine, Fanfare for Orchestra

 

Claude Debussy
Le Livre de Baudelaire, four songs from Debussy's Cinq poèmes de Baudelaire (orchestrated by John Adams)

 

 - Interval -

 

John Adams
Harmonielehre for Large Orchestra

 

 

March 21, 2025 & March 22, 2025
Conductor: Anja Bihlmaier
Cello: Kian Soltani

 

Program
Antonín Dvořák
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B minor, Op. 104

 

 - Interval -

 

Sarah Gibson
New Work for Orchestra (German Premiere)

 

Johannes Brahms
Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25 (arranged for orchestra by Arnold Schönberg)

 

 

March 28, 2025 & March 29, 2025
Conductor: Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla
Violin: Vilde Frang

 

Program
Béla Bartók
Divertimento for String Orchestra, Sz 113

 

Robert Schumann
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D minor, WoO 23

 

 - Interval -

 

Robert Schumann
Symphony No. 1 in B-flat major, Op. 38 "Spring Symphony"

 

 

April 12, 2025 & April 13, 2025
Conductor: Juraj Valčuha
Piano: Emanuel Ax

 

Program
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Concerto in C major, K. 503

 

 - Interval -

 

Dmitri Shostakovich
Symphony No. 8 in C minor, Op. 65

 

 

April 17, 2025 & April 18, 2025
Conductor: Alain Altinoglu
Soprano: Véronique Gens
Mezzo-soprano: Nora Gubisch
Tenor: Julien Dran
Baritone: Stéphane Degout
Baritone: Laurent Naouri
Preparation: Andreas Herrmann
Munich Philharmonic Choir

 

Program
Maurice Ravel
Le Tombeau de Couperin

 

Francis Poulenc
Figure humaine for Two Mixed Choirs a cappella

 

 - Interval -

 

Frank Martin
In terra pax, Brief Oratorio for Soli, Two Mixed Choirs, and Orchestra

 

 

April 30, 2025 & May 1, 2025
Conductor: Krzysztof Urbański

 

Program
Wojciech Kilar
Krzesany, Symphonic Poem

 

Frédéric Chopin
Grande Fantaisie on Polish Airs for Piano and Orchestra in A major, Op. 13

 

Frédéric Chopin
Krakowiak, Concert Rondo for Piano and Orchestra in F major, Op. 14

 

 - Interval -

 

Henryk Mikołaj Górecki
Symphony No. 3 for Soprano and Orchestra, Op. 36 "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs"

 

 

May 8, 2025
Conductor: Lahav Shani
Members of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Munich Philharmonic

 

Program
Tzvi Avni
Prayer for String Orchestra

 

Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 6 in A minor "Tragic"

 

 

May 17, 2025 & May 18, 2025
Conductor: Giedrė Šlekytė
Soprano: Chen Reiss

 

Program
Franz Schreker
Vom ewigen Leben for Soprano and Orchestra

 

Raminta Šerkšnytė
Midsummer Song

 

Richard Strauss
Selected Orchestral Songs

 

 - Interval -

 

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56 "Scottish"

 

 

May 21, 2025 & May 22, 2025
Conductor: Zubin Mehta
Oboe: Marie-Luise Modersohn
Bassoon: Raffaele Giannotti
Violin: Naoka Aoki
Cello: Floris Mijnders

 

Program
Joseph Haydn
Sinfonia Concertante for Oboe, Bassoon, Violin, Cello, and Orchestra in B-flat major, Hob. I:105

 

 - Interval -

 

Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 5 in Five Movements for Large Orchestra

 

 

June 6, 2025 & June 7, 2025
Conductor: Lahav Shani
Violin: Leonidas Kavakos

 

Program
György Ligeti
Atmosphères

 

Igor Stravinsky
Violin Concerto in D major

 

 - Interval -

 

Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73

 

 

June 13, 2025 & June 14, 2025
Conductor: Andris Nelsons
Soprano: Rachel Willis-Sørensen

 

Program
Claude Debussy
Prélude to "The Afternoon of a Faun"

 

Richard Wagner
Wesendonck Lieder for Voice and Orchestra

 

 - Interval -

 

Hector Berlioz
Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14

 

 

June 26, 2025 & June 29, 2025
Conductor: Gustavo Gimeno
Piano: Kyohei Sorita
Preparation: Andreas Herrmann
Women’s Choir of the Munich Philharmonic Choir

 

Program
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30

 

 - Interval -

 

Gustav Holst
The Planets, Op. 32

 

 

July 2, 2025 & July 3, 2025
Conductor: Andrés Orozco-Estrada
Violin: Hilary Hahn

 

Program
Johannes Brahms
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77

 

 - Interval -

 

Antonín Dvořák
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 "From the New World"