Elbphilharmonie announces 2025/26 concert season

5 May 2025

Upcoming season to feature early music to jazz and electronics from September 3, 2025

The Elbphilharmonie announced Thursday (April 24, 2025) its 2025/26 season featuring a star-studded line-up and no fewer than 50 world famous orchestras as well as a harpsichord and (jazz) double bass concert series. The artists in residence are cellist Kian Soltani, clarinettist Martin Fröst, Italian conductor Riccardo Minasi and US jazz superstar Brad Mehldau, who is curating a four-day »Reflektor« festival at the Elbphilharmonie. Music from Catalonia, indigenous songs from the edge of the Arctic Circle and the 50th anniversary of the death of the Egyptian singer and musician Umm Kulthum will be among this season's focal points. The Orchestre de Paris will perform a new horn concerto by Esa-Pekka Salonen, conducted by the composer himself to open the season on September 3, 2025. Subscriptions for the 2025/26 season are now available on www.elbphilharmonie.de. Tickets go on sale from May 13, 2025.

Performances by symphony orchestras

Music lovers can look forward to symphony orchestras such as the Royal Opera House (September 22, 2025), the London Symphony Orchestra (October 6-7, 2025), the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (November 3, 2025), the Oslo Philharmonic (January 17-18, 2026), the Vienna Philharmonic (January 20, 2026), the Munich Philharmonic (February 6, 2026), the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (February 11, 2026), the Filarmonica della Scala (March 17, 2026), October) and the orchestras and choirs of the Zurich Opera House (March 31, 2026 and April 1, 2026). Britain's Sir Simon Rattle will conduct three different orchestras beginning with the National Youth Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela (December 3, 2025) followed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra's performance of Gustav Mahler's "Resurrection Symphony" (March 21, 2026) and the with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (April 26, 2026).

Festivals in Elbphilharmonie

Musically speaking, the Elbphilharmonie will travel south and shine the spotlight on Catalonia's musical traditions during the "Catalunya" festival with flamenco guitarist Chicuelo and jazz pianist Marco Mezquida (November 13, 2025) the singing duo Tarta Relena, which combines Mediterranean folklore with electronic rhythms (November 14, 2025) and the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and the Cor de Cambra (November 14, 2025). Sílvia Pérez Cruz and Salvador Sobral will close the festival with fado and flamenco music (November 16, 2025).

The four-day "Arctic Voices" festival in February will showcase indigenous vocal techniques. Multi-talented musician Brad Mehldau will curate the multi-day "Reflektor" festival whether solo, in a duo, with a big band, an orchestra, or performing his own piano concerto as a soloist (March 12-15, 2025). The Hamburg International Music Festival kicks off with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra's performance of the late Romantic oratorio "The Book with Seven Seals" (May 1-2, 2026).

Operas, concert series and artists in residence

The line-up includes several operas such as the "Elektra", performed by the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra (February 13-15, 2026) and a performance of Monteverdi's "Orfeo" by the Cappella Mediterranea (April 28, 2026). Great sacred works will also be presented at Easter, such as the "St John Passion" (March 28, 2026), "St Matthew Passion" (April 2, 2026) and "Christ on the Mount of Olives" (April 3, 2026). A special concert series will highlight the harpsichord while bass takes centre stage in "Jazz Bass", and the "ePhil" series will shine the spotlight key figures in electronic music. The Elbphilharmonie artist in residence, cellist Kian Soltani, will perform Hayden's Cello Concerto in C major with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra on September 17, 2025). Soltani will present classical Persian music with his father Khosro Soltani and his Ensemble Shiraz ensemble (May 29, 2026). Italian conductor Riccardo Minasi will debut at the helm of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen with works by Weber, Beethoven and Brahms (September 29, 2026). Minasi will also conduct four concerts with the Elbphilharmonie's resident ensemble, including Bellini's "Romeo and Juliet" opera (February 20, 2026).

Music education is high on the Elbphilharmonie’s agenda this seasons and features over 1,000 events and workshops including the “Klassiko” during which visitors can try out everything from orchestral instruments to modular synthesizers.

mm/pb