Symphoniekonzert I of the Staatskapelle Berlin
The Staatskapelle Berlin opens its 2026/27 season series of major orchestral concerts—comprising eight double concerts—with Symphony Concert I. Symphony Concert I will take place on September 8 as part of the 2026 Berlin Music Festival at the Berlin Philharmonie, and on September 9 at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. Under the baton of General Music Director Christian Thielemann, the program features Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467, and Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major (the “Romantic”). Rudolf Buchbinder will perform as soloist. Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Berlin will also take this program on an Asian tour in November 2026.
Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 was composed in 1785 during his particularly productive and successful years in Vienna and is considered one of the most significant works of its genre. In the finely balanced interplay between piano and orchestra, a music of great tonal nuance and melodic clarity unfolds. The work exemplifies Mozart’s groundbreaking development of the piano concerto and combines virtuosic brilliance with the transparency of chamber music.
Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 holds a special place within his symphonic oeuvre. It is the only one of his symphonies to which he himself gave a nickname: “The Romantic.” Sweeping musical developments, striking associations with nature, and lyrical passages combine to form an impressive, nuanced soundscape. The work’s multiple revisions also bear witness to Bruckner’s intense struggle to arrive at the score’s final form and underscore his unique contribution to 19th-century symphonic music. Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Berlin share a close artistic connection with the music of Anton Bruckner: Their joint performance of the Seventh Symphony marked the beginning of an ongoing engagement with his symphonic oeuvre, with the number of performances steadily increasing. In the coming seasons as well, Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Berlin will continue to cultivate the Bruckner repertoire, which is so important to the orchestra’s history. In Symphony Concert I, the 1878 version of the Symphony No. 4—the version most frequently performed today—will be presented, featuring the finale from 1880.
The Staatsoper would like to express its sincere gratitude to the friends and patrons of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and its main partners, BMW and the Hilti Foundation, for their support.