Live & Upcoming Programmes

Daniel Harding & Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Daniel Harding & Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Florence Musical May) is Italy's oldest opera and arts festival. It was founded in 1933 with the aim of presenting contemporary and forgotten operas. Over the years, the scope widened, and orchestral concerts have long been an integral part of the festival. As part of the festival's 2021 edition, maestro Daniel Harding leads the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in a wonderful concert program featuring Johannes Brahms's Tragic Overture in D minor, Op. 81, and Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 1 in D major, ‘Titan'. Brahms composed his concert overture during the summer of 1880. With its dark and tumultuous character, it could be regarded as the serious counterpart of his more joyful Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80. Mahler completed his first symphony eight years later, in 1888. Originally a five-movement piece, the composer discarded the second movement ‘Blumine' some years later, resulting in the final four-movement version we know today. This performance was recorded at Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence, Italy, in 2021.

2025-12-12 22:15:00 +0000 UTC2025-12-12 23:45:00 +0000 UTC(1h30m)
Iván Fischer & Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Iván Fischer & Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Maestro Iván Fischer leads the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in a remarkable concert program of works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonín Dvořák. Mozart's Symphony No. 34 in C major, K. 338 opens the program. Completed in the summer of 1780, this was the last symphony Mozart wrote in Salzburg, where he worked as a court musician. The three-movement symphony features two vibrant outer movements with fanfares and rousing themes, while the quieter second movement is scored for strings alone, deviating from the typical four-movement structure of the time. Next on the program is Dvořák's Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70, completed in March 1885 and premiered one month later in London conducted by the composer himself. With its dramatic and dark style, this symphony stands in stark contrast to the predominantly optimistic tone of Dvořák's broader oeuvre. This performance was recorded at Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence, Italy, on January 29, 2021.

2025-12-12 20:45:00 +0000 UTC2025-12-12 22:04:54 +0000 UTC(1h19m)
Gewandhausorchester, Andris Nelsons & Baiba Skride

Gewandhausorchester, Andris Nelsons & Baiba Skride

In May 2019, the new principal conductor of the Gewandhaus, Andris Nelsons, presented Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 with his orchestra in combination with Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1 with outstanding violinist Baiba Skride as the soloist. In this composition, the violin does not allow itself a break, continually tells its dark story and gets into a vicious circle of ostinato Passacaglia bass lines again and again falls into beguilingly beautiful singing. Tchaikovsky initially thought his 'Symphony of Fate' was a failure and believed himself to be at the end of his creative powers. It was probably the composer's nature, plagued by self-doubt, that made it almost impossible for him to develop a self-confident attitude to his own creative power. Between this two works, Skride performs Stravinsky's Elegy for Solo Violin.

2025-12-12 18:45:00 +0000 UTC2025-12-12 20:45:00 +0000 UTC(2h)
Quatuor Ebène

Quatuor Ebène

Renowned French string quartet Quatuor Ébène marked the 250th birth anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) with a remarkable project: recording all of the great composer's sixteen string quartets. For five years, violinists Pierre Colombet and Gabriel Le Magadure, violist Marie Chilemme, and cellist Raphaël Merlin immersed themselves in Beethoven's 650 pages of sheet music. Their efforts culminated in the performance of the composer's complete repertoire for string quartet, which covers three decades of Beethoven's musical creativity, during six impressive concerts at Philharmonie de Paris in the autumn of 2020. Quatuor Ébène explored every facet of Beethoven's string quartet repertoire: from the youthful Opus 18 string quartets to the Razumovsky, Harp, and Serioso quartets (Opus 59, 74, and 95) from his middle period, and finally, the depth of his late quartets (Opus 127 to 135). This program features Quatuor Ébène performing Beethoven's String Quartet No. 6 in B-flat major, Op. 18 No. 6 and String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132. This concert performance was recorded at Philharmonie de Paris on November 24, 2020.

2025-12-12 17:00:00 +0000 UTC2025-12-12 18:34:31 +0000 UTC(1h34m)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra & Claudio Abbado

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra & Claudio Abbado

Maestro Abbado made a big donation when he appeared with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at the Suntory Hall in Tokyo in 1994. Claudio Abbado's Japanese tour is considered one of the highlights of his career and this concert is especially memorable. The original version of Mussorgsky's A Night on Bald Mountain and a sequel from Stravinsky's The Firebird, which contains 7 of the 19 pieces of the full-length ballet, are on the program. This concert ends with one of Tchaikovsky's most popular pieces, Symphony No. 5.

2025-12-12 10:30:00 +0000 UTC2025-12-12 12:30:00 +0000 UTC(2h)
Douglas Boyd, Orchestre de chambre de Paris, Accentus Chamber Choir & Carolyn Sampson

Douglas Boyd, Orchestre de chambre de Paris, Accentus Chamber Choir & Carolyn Sampson

Composer George Frideric Handel's oratorio Messiah, HWV 56 is his best-known work. He wrote this choral masterpiece in just 24 days in 1741. Following its premiere in Dublin in 1742, the work has been immensely popular. The oratorio's three parts deal with the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Charles Jennens' libretto is based on texts from the Old and New Testament. In this performance, English conductor Douglas Boyd leads chamber choir Accentus and Orchestre de chambre de Paris. The soloists are soprano Carolyn Sampson, mezzosoprano Paula Murrihy, tenor Allan Clayton, and bass Matthew Rose. Captured at the Philharmonie de Paris on December 22, 2015, this performance underlines the enduring majesty of Handel's masterpiece.

2025-12-12 08:00:00 +0000 UTC2025-12-12 10:30:00 +0000 UTC(2h30m)
Angelika Kirchschlager, Tomasz Stanko Quartet, Freiburger Barockorchester & Gottfried von der Goltz

Angelika Kirchschlager, Tomasz Stanko Quartet, Freiburger Barockorchester & Gottfried von der Goltz

Set in the magnificent Cistercian Monastery Schulpforte near Naumburg, Germany, Sounds like Christmas combines festive music with the spontaneity and freshness of jazz. This Christmas program is the musical encounter between soprano Angelika Kirchschlager and jazz trumpeter Tomasz Stańko. Interpreting popular and lesser-known Christmas songs, the soloists are accompanied by the outstanding Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and the Leipzig a cappella ensemble Amarcord, consisting of former members of St. Thomas Boys Choir. The artists' different backgrounds and stylistic preferences create a suspenseful, varied musical experience. The origins of the monastery date back to the Benedictine convent founded in Schmölln in 1127. Concert footage is juxtaposed with snowy mountain landscapes and cities decorated for Christmas.

2025-12-12 06:45:00 +0000 UTC2025-12-12 08:00:00 +0000 UTC(1h15m)
Soloists of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Lucas Macías Navarro, Stefan Dohr & Jonathan Wegloop

Soloists of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Lucas Macías Navarro, Stefan Dohr & Jonathan Wegloop

The soloists from the Lucerne Festival Orchestra present two septets in this engaging 2020 concert, recorded at Lucerne Culture and Congress Center (KKL), Switzerland. It opens with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Divertimento No. 11 in D major, K. 251, known as the ‘Nannerl-Septet'. Mozart composed it in 1776, probably on the occasion of his sister Maria Anna's name day, whose nickname was ‘Nannerl'. The septet is scored for oboe, two horns, two violins, viola and double bass. The program continues with Ludwig van Beethoven's Septet in E-flat major, Op. 20, which is scored for clarinet, horn, bassoon, violin, viola, cello and double bass. This 1799 piece achieved great popularity during Beethoven's lifetime. It was arranged for many various instrumental ensembles, including versions for two guitars, and piano four-hands, but also a trio for clarinet (or violin), cello, and piano, arranged by Beethoven himself.

2025-12-12 05:00:00 +0000 UTC2025-12-12 06:28:42 +0000 UTC(1h28m)
Daniel Barenboim

Daniel Barenboim

On August 19, 2000, the Teatro Colón was filled to the brim with spectators longing to hear Daniel Barenboim play the piano. Barenboim, who is currently best known as a conductor, started his career half a century ago as a child prodigy, playing his first piano recital at age 7. This concert celebrates the maestro's on-stage career. Only after the maestro had performed for a full three hours, including no less than 13 encores, the audience was willing to let him leave the stage: a special evening if ever there was one! The concert included Ludwig van Beethoven's Sonata No. 23 ‘Apassionata', Frederic Chopin's Waltz in e minor, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Sonata in C major.

2025-12-11 23:15:00 +0000 UTC2025-12-12 01:45:00 +0000 UTC(2h30m)
Gotthold Schwarz, Thomanerchor Leipzig, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig & Dorothee Mields

Gotthold Schwarz, Thomanerchor Leipzig, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig & Dorothee Mields

Traditionally, many ensembles festively announce the Christmas season with a performance of Johannes Sebastian Bach's Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248. It consists of six cantatas originally intended for performance on one of the major feast days of the Christmas period. The work saw its first performance in 1734, at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, Germany, where Bach occupied the position of cantor. In that very same church the thirty-fourth ‘Thomaskantor', Gotthold Schwarz, leads the St. Thomas Boys Choir Leipzig and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig in a performance of Bach's choral masterpiece. Among the soloists are Dorothee Mields (soprano), Elvira Bill (alto), Patrick Grahl (tenor, Evangelist), Markus Schäfer (tenor, arias), and Klaus Häger (bass). This performance was recorded in 2018.

2025-12-11 20:00:00 +0000 UTC2025-12-11 22:59:54 +0000 UTC(2h59m)
Les Dissonances & David Grimal

Les Dissonances & David Grimal

Les Dissonances is a collective of artists founded by violinist David Grimal in 2004. The conductorless ensemble consists of musicians from the most prestigious European orchestras, international soloists, and young talents. In this performance, Les Dissonances play Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216. Leading violinist Grimal features as the soloist. With the exception of the first violin concerto, Mozart composed his other four violin concertos in 1775 at a time when he was concertmaster at the Salzburg court. Violin Concerto No. 3 opens with a theme the composer borrowed from the aria ‘Aer tranquillo' of his then recent opera Il re pastore. In the beautiful Adagio, the strings are muted and the oboes make way for the flutes, which only sound in the second movement. The finale movement has a dance-like character. This performance was recorded at Cité de la Musique, France, in 2014.

2025-12-11 19:15:00 +0000 UTC2025-12-11 19:46:04 +0000 UTC(31m)
Bertrand de Billy

Bertrand de Billy

Since its founding over 500 years ago the Wiener Sängerknaben, also known as the Vienna Boys' Choir, has been a fixed attraction in musical life. A number of important musicians have been connected with the famous choir. Joseph Haydn and Franz Schubert, for example, have been members themselves. Not to forget about W. A. Mozart, who composed several musical works for the choir. On January 27, 2006 – the day of the composer's 250th anniversary – the Wiener Sängerknaben celebrated Mozart with this concert from the Stephansdom in Vienna. The Radio Symphonieorchester Wien plays under the baton of Bertrand de Billy soloist is the French soprano Sandrine Piau.

2025-12-11 17:45:00 +0000 UTC2025-12-11 19:15:00 +0000 UTC(1h30m)
Luca Vignali, Angelo De Angelis, Carmine Pinto & Eliseo Smordoni

Luca Vignali, Angelo De Angelis, Carmine Pinto & Eliseo Smordoni

Luca Vignali (oboe), Angelo De Angelis (clarinet), Carmine Pinto (horn), Eliseo Smordoni (bassoon), and Linda Di Carlo (piano) perform Ludwig van Beethoven's Quintet for piano and winds in E-flat major, Op. 16. The piece, completed in 1796, is assumed to have been modelled on Mozart's Quintet for piano and winds, K. 452. Both quintets are scored for the same unusual instrument combination, are in the same key, and feature the same three-movement structure. A marked difference is that Beethoven, as a piano virtuoso, wrote the piano parts to highlight the strengths of his playing. Besides, the composer regularly places this instrument in the center of attention. Beethoven published the work in 1801 in two versions: as a quintet for piano and winds, and as a quartet for piano and strings (also designated Op. 16). This performance was recorded at Perugia's Auditorium Santa Cecilia, Italy, on June 23, 2022.

2025-12-11 17:00:00 +0000 UTC2025-12-11 17:45:00 +0000 UTC(45m)
Mariss Jansons, Berliner Philharmoniker & Emmanuel Pahud

Mariss Jansons, Berliner Philharmoniker & Emmanuel Pahud

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809): Symphony No. 94 in G major "Surprise" - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791): Flute Concerto in D major, K. 314 - Hector Berlioz (1803-1869): Symphonie fantastique Op. 14. Emmanuel Pahud (flute), Berliner Philharmoniker conductor: Mariss Jansons. The European Concert has been a tradition of the Berliner Philharmoniker since 1991. The musicians commemorate the anniversary of the orchestra's founding on May 1st, 1882, playing in different European cities. This concert was recorded in the church "Hagia Eirene" in Istanbul, Turkey.

2025-12-11 11:00:00 +0000 UTC2025-12-11 13:00:00 +0000 UTC(2h)
Vadim Yarkov

Vadim Yarkov

This stunning performance of theatrical ice dancing brings viewers into the enchanting world of Tchaikovsky's magnificent holiday classic, The Nutcracker On Ice, performed by the internationally renowned Imperial Ice Stars, and including former champion figure skaters, Vadim Yarkov and Olga Sharutenko. This very special performance and soundtrack was performed by the Manchester Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Tim A. Duncan, and filmed live in Cape Town, South Africa in 2011.

2025-12-11 09:00:00 +0000 UTC2025-12-11 11:00:00 +0000 UTC(2h)