Hungarian born Adam Fischer is one of the most important conductors working today, chief conductor of the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker. He joins this Mozart Matinee in company of pianist Lukas Sternath, winner of several international piano competitions such as 63rd International Ferruccio Busoni Piano Competition in Bolzano, the 14th International Schubert Competition in Dortmund and the 17th European Piano Competition in Bremen. Program: Mozart: Maurerische Trauermusik in C minor K. 477 (479a); Piano Concerto in D minor K. 466 (solo cadenzas by Ludwig van Beethoven); Symphony in C major K. 425 — ’Linz’.
Daniele Gatti conducts Stravinsky & Shostakovich
Featuring two contrasting pieces that could not be more different, Daniele Gatti leads the Wiener Philharmoniker in one of their exclusive subscription concerts. Stravinsky’s rarely performed ballet suite Apollon Musagète starts off the concert, in which Gatti “carefully and objectively brings out Stravinsky’s neoclassical style as in a copperplate engraving” (Kurier). After, the Wiener Philharmoniker take on the masterpiece that is Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 in E minor, “bringing the dystopian crescendos of the first movement to bear just as grippingly as the steamhammer scherzo and the happy ending. The wind solos are inspired across the board, from the clarinet lament to a warm Mahler horn to the final bassoon jubilation: cheers at the Musikverein” (Der Standard). PROGRAM: Stravinsky – Apollon Musagète, ballet suite; Shostakovich – Symphonie Nr. 10, Op. 93
Mozartwoche 2025: Gonzales-Monjas, Gabriela Montero & Lauren Snouffer
“With great momentum and a sense of drama” (Die Presse), this Mozart Week opening concert leaves nothing to be desired. González-Monjas “coaxed boundless energy out of the orchestra” (SN). Soprano Lauren Snouffer dazzled with Haydn and pianist Gabriela Montero offered a “fiery performance” (Das Opernmagazin) of Mozart’s piano concerto KV 466: “Montero (…) led the audience into romantic sound worlds, while in the encore she improvised on Cherubino’s “Voi sapete” and ended with Bach “à la Stokowski” (Salzburger Nachrichten).
Popelka conducts Dvorak and Strauss
Together with the Wiener Symphoniker and cellist Gautier Capuçon, Petr Popelka proves to be “a conductor who knows how to unleash storms” (Kurier). First, Capuçon shines with a repertoire favourite – Antonin Dvorák’s cello concerto in B minor. “In the midst of the marvellously accompanying symphony orchestra, he was able to showcase all his skills and, above all, his stunningly full-bodied instrument” (Die Presse). What followed in the second half was equally brilliant with Strauss’ tone poems Don Juan and Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche: The Dream Team captivated the audience with their exuberant joy of playing and a cornucopia of sound…enchanting changes of mood and tempo, magical moments of calm, poetry and light-footed mischief: it was all there” (Der Standard). PROGRAM: Dvorak – Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 104; Strauss – Don Juan, Op. 20; Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, Op. 28
Daniel Harding conducts the Münchner Philharmoniker
From the Musikverein in Vienna, Renaud Capuçon is joined by the Münchner Philharmoniker and conductor Daniel Harding the first Austrian performance of his compatriot Thierry Escaich’s new Violin Concerto No. 2. A work of great drive and rhythmic vitality, it is coupled here with Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 “Romantic” whose opening – with its horn theme intoned against shimmering strings – sets the scene for one of the composer’s most popular works, and a familar calling card for Harding, a conductor celebrated in this repertoire. PROGRAM: Escaich – Concerto for violin and orchestra (commissioned work and world premiere); Bruckner – Symphony No. 4 in E flat major
Salzburg Festival 2024: Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducts Berlioz
Canadian maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin, a regular collaborator with the esteemed Vienna Philharmonic since 2010, is making a comeback to the world-famous Salzburg Festival in 2024 to conduct a spectacular performance of Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique with them! This symphony, composed by a 26-year-old Berlioz who was captivated by actress Harriet Smithson, his future wife, depicts an artist haunted by an all-consuming love that evolves from innocence to horror, including opium-induced dreams and a sinister witches’ sabbath.
Paavo Järvi conducts Haydn
The charming, elegant music of Joseph Haydn’s London symphonies is repeatedly punctuated by flashes of tragedy. But no sooner has the listener adjusted to a change of mood than it is over again. It’s these rapid changes of colour that are characteristic of Haydn, a composer of great versatility, depth of thought and wit. The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen under the direction of its chief conductor Paavo Järvi makes all this audible and tangible. In the second part of their concert series on the London Symphonies at the Vienna Konzerthaus, they perform three more of Haydn’s London Symphonies, the Symphonies No. 93, No. 97 and No. 101 “The Clock”. For the recording of two of the London symphonies, Symphonies Nos. 101 and 103, the orchestra was honoured with the “Orchestra of the year 2023” award from the British classical music
magazine “Grammophone”, one of the most important awards in classical music.
Gonzales-Monjas, Villazon & Mozarteum Orchestra
New Mozarteumorchester Salzburg chief conductor Roberto González-Monjas and his orchestra are a pair that has “sought and found” (APA) each other, perform Salieri’s rarely heard Sinfonia “Il giorno onomastico”. The concert is bookended by Mozart’s first and last symphonies, for which González-Monjas “presented a striking interpretative calling card” (Salzburger Nachrichten). Rolando Villazón completes the evening with three of Mozart’s arias, utilizing his full range as a performer: “The arch-comedian […] plays all his trump cards of dramatic and gestural, but also vocal expressiveness” (Salzburger Nachrichten). Mozart: Symphony in E flat major, K. 16; “Va’ dal furor portata”, K. 21, Aria for tenor and orchestra; From La clemenza di Tito, K. 621: Aria of Tito “Se all’impero, amici dèi”; “Con ossequio, con rispetto”, K. 210, Aria for tenor and orchestra; Symphony in C major, K. 551 “Jupiter”; Salieri: Symphony in D major “Il giorno onomastico” (arr. Pietro Spada)
Yuja Wang & Mahler Chamber Orchestra
“Virtuosic sparks” (klassik.com) As Artistic Partner of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, piano virtuoso Yuja Wang not only dazzles at the grand piano, but also gives her conducting debut. After an amuse-bouche of Mozart’s “precisely articulated and dynamically shaded” Serenade in E flat major, Wang takes the stage with Stravinsky’s Concerto for piano and wind orchestra and concludes the concert with a striking rendition of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue: “With dreamlike chord accuracy and flawlessly rapid repetitions, she presents the rhythmic finesse of Gershwin’s music and demonstrates an unerring sense of jazzy impetus” (klassik.com). Mozart: Serenade for wind instruments, K. 375; Stravinsky: Concerto for piano and wind instruments; Dvorak: Serenade for wind instruments, cello and double bass in D minor, Op. 44; Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (arr. Ferde Grofé); Marquez: Danzón No. 2 (arr. Gómez-Tagle)
Franz Welser-Möst conducts Schönberg, Strauss and Ravel
In this subscription concert, Franz Welser-Möst and the Wiener Philharmoniker whisk the audience away to the early 20th century and its variety of styles, from preserving tradition to embracing modernity. Starting with Hindemith’s Konzertmusik for wind orchestra, the superb wind section shows what they are made of: “From the very first fanfare sounds of the opening movement you could feel the fun they had” (Die Presse). With the rarely performed Strauss fantasy on Die Frau ohne Schatten, Ravel’s La Valse and Schönberg’s Variations for orchestra, Welser-Möst shows top form at the podium: “It’s impressive how Welser-Möst gives each piece its own aura. How he leads the perfectly studied musicians to snappy steps and artfully stylised dance forms, or how he revels in the splendour of sound in Strauss and Ravel” (Kronenzeitung).