Film music arranged for the Elbphilharmonie Organ. Her enthusiasm is contagious: Anna Lapwood is the new face of an ancient instrument. “I love to surprise people!” exclaims Anna Lapwood. Audiences adore her unconventional approach to playing the organ. Millions of followers watch the 30-year-old British musician on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, captivated by her impressive concert arrangements. She repeatedly challenges the classical canon and devotes herself to popular and film music with the same dedication as Bach, Vierne, Poulenc, and contemporary composers. Can she play “Pirates of the Caribbean« on the organ? “Of course,” says the British social media star. At Elbphilharmonie Hamburg she plays a varied program of film music and organ classics, featuring Lapwood‘s own arrangements, cheerful introductions and audience engagement, dramatic organ sounds, and enchanting lighting design.
Elina Garanca Recital
The new season of the Opernhaus Zürich opened with an extraordinary recital. The celebrated mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca and the new artistic director Matthias Schulz transported the audience into a world of songs and arias with works by Saint-Saëns, Berlioz, Brahms, Schumann, and other romantic and late romantic composers. The centerpiece of the evening was the aria “Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix” from Saint-Saëns’ opera “Samson et Dalila,” which Garanca, as “Dalila,” knows to masterfully and emotionally interpret on the world’s greatest operatic stages and with full orchestras. Matthias Schulz’s sensitive piano accompaniment left nothing to be desired in terms of this emotionality and artistry. The two musicians have a longstanding musical collaboration, and their recitals delight European audiences.
Hayato Sumino – Live from Suntory Hall, Tokyo
He is probably the most exciting representative of the current pianist scene: Hayato Sumino inspires with his phenomenal virtuosity and infectious joy of playing, his concert tours are sold out worldwide. In his unique style, Sumino combines classical technique with great talent for arrangement and improvisation, bringing a fresh and innovative approach to piano music. The 30-year-old Japanese musician is not only causing a stir with classical works. Under the name “Cateen”, he is also a YouTube star with 1.5 million subscribers with his own compositions and arrangements, and is inspiring a steadily growing online fan base for his art. Of his numerous competition successes and awards, the most recent is the Leonard Bernstein Award 2025 from the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. This program is a recording of Hayato Sumino’s concert at Suntory Hall in Tokyo. With music ranging from J.S. Bach to Hans Zimmer and from Chopin to his own compositions, the exceptional artist once again demonstrates his impressive versatility and virtuosity.
Luka Sulic – Live at Union Chapel
Don’t miss an unforgettable night of music as world-renowned cellist Luka Šulic brings his spellbinding performance to the iconic London’s Union Chapel. Set under the soft glow of candlelight, Šulic blends classical brilliance with modern emotion in a breathtaking concert experience. The cello virtuoso, known for his broad repertoire mixing crossover and classical repertoire, gifts the public a powerful renditions from his LIFE album and more.
Lang Lang in Paris
“Hats off, gentlemen, a genius!” Schumann’s famous words heralding Frédéric Chopin have gone down in history, and the two composers jointly launched a revolution in piano music in the early Romantic era. And works by both men are at the centre of Lang Lang’s recital from the Philharmonie de Paris: Schumann’s fantastical Kreisleriana, and mazurkas and a polonaise by Chopin, in which he distilled the spirit of Poland into music at once haunting, deeply moving and – in the case of the Polonaise – thrillingly rousing. Opening with the original piano version of Fauré’s beautiful Pavane, this programme promises to be a superb showcase of Lang Lang’s passion, virtuosity and sensitivity. PROGRAM Fauré: Pavane; Schumann: Kreisleriana; Chopin: Mazurkas; Polonaise in F-sharp minor