Berliner Philharmoniker
Introduction
Askonas Holt’s relationship with the legendary Berliner Philharmoniker has spanned decades. We have managed many concert tours for the orchestra in Europe and Asia, including numerous visits to London with Kirill Petrenko, Sir Simon Rattle, Bernard Haitink, Claudio Abbado and Herbert von Karajan among others conductors.
Under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, Askonas Holt arranged concerts in cities as diverse as London, Rome, Moscow, Beijing, Taipei and Tokyo. In 2015 the Berliner Philharmoniker celebrated Sir Simon Rattle’s 60th birthday in style with a week-long London residency both at the Barbican Hall and at the Royal Festival Hall. In May 2018 the orchestra performed their final concerts in London with Sir Simon as Music Director at the Royal Festival Hall.
Berliner Philharmoniker returned to London with their new Music Director Kirill just a few months later to perform together for the first time at the BBC Proms in September 2018.
November 2018 and 2019 saw the orchestra touring in Asia under the batons of Gustavo Dudamel and Zubin Mehta.
In November 2023 Berliner Philharmoniker returned to Asia for their first tour conducted by Kirill Petrenko, including two concerts in Seoul and ten concerts throughout Japan.
Tours
- Aug 2024 - Sep 2024London
Berliner Philharmoniker Víkingur Ólafsson (piano) Kirill Petrenko (conductor) Programme 1 (Prom 55): SCHUMANN Piano Concerto in A minor, SMETANA Má vlast Programme 2 (Prom 56): BRUCKNER Symphony No. 5 in B flat major Royal Albert Hall, London (as part of the BBC Proms)
- Nov 2023Asia
Berliner Philharmoniker Kirill Petrenko (conductor) Seong-Jin Cho (piano) PROGRAMMES: REGER Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Mozart, Op. 132, STRAUSS Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 MOZART Symphony No. 29 in A major, K. 201, BERG Three Pieces for orchestra, Op. 6, BRAHMS Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 BEETHOVEN Piano concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58, STRAUSS Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 Seoul Arts Centre, Seoul | Rexxam Hall, Takamatsu | Aichi Prefectural Arts Theater, Nagoya | Arcrea HIMEJI, Himeji | Festival Hall, Osaka | Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall, Kawasaki | Suntory Hall, Tokyo
- Sep 2022London
Berliner Philharmoniker Kirill Petrenko (conductor) Daniel Harding (conductor) Tabea Zimmermann (viola) PROGRAMMES: Mahler Symphony No. 7 Schnittke Viola Concerto, Bruckner Symphony No. 4 Royal Albert Hall, London
- Nov 2021Scandinavia
Berliner Philharmoniker Kirill Petrenko (conductor) PROGRAMME: MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 3 op. 56 “Scottish”, SHOSTAKOVITCH, Symphony No. 10 op. 93 Musikhuset Aarhus, Denmark | Malmö Live Konserthus, Sweden | Musikkens Hus Aalborg, Denmark
- Nov 2019Japan
Berliner Philharmoniker Zubin Mehta (conductor) Amihai Grosz (viola) Ludwig Quandt (cello) PROGRAMMES: STRAUSS Symphonic Poem Don Quixote, Op.35, BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 3 "Eroica" BRUCKNER Symphony No. 8 (1890) Aichi Prefectural Arts Theater, Nagoya | Festival Hall, Osaka | Symphony Hall, Fukuoka | Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall, Kawasaki | Suntory Hall, Tokyo
- Nov 2018Asia
Berliner Philharmoniker Gustavo Dudamel (conductor) Tamara Mumford (mezzo-soprano) Lang Lang (piano) PROGRAMMES: BERNSTEIN Divertimento for Orchestra, MAHLER Symphony No. 5 BERNSTEIN Symphony No. 1 Jeremiah, SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5 MOZART Piano Concerto No. 24, SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5 Prince Mahidol Hall, Bangkok | National Concert Hall, Taipei | National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts, Kaohsiung |Shenzhen Concert Hall, Shenzhen | Xi’an Concert Hall, Xi'an | National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing
- Sep 2018London
Berliner Philharmoniker Kirill Petrenko (conductor) Yuja Wang (piano) PROGRAMMES: DUKAS La Péri (with fanfare), PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 3, SCHMIDT Symphony No. 4 STRAUSS Don Juan, Op. 20, STRAUSS Tod und Verklärung Opus 24, BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7 Royal Albert Hall, London
- May 2018London
Berliner Philharmoniker Sir Simon Rattle (conductor) PROGRAMMES: ABRAHAMSEN Three Pieces for Orchestra, BRUCKNER Symphony No. 9 WIDMANN Tanz auf dem Vulkan für Orchester, LUTOSLAWSKI Symphony No. 3, BRAHMS Symphony No. 1 Op. 68 Royal Festival Hall, London
- Nov 2017Asia
Berliner Philharmoniker Sir Simon Rattle (conductor) Yuja Wang (piano) Seong-Jin Cho (piano) PROGRAMMES: STRAUSS Don Juan, RAVEL Concerto for Piano in G major, BRAHMS Symphony No. 4 STRAVINSKY Petrushka, UNSUK CHINChorós Chordón, RACHMANINOV Symphony No. 3 STRAUSS Don Juan, BARTÓK Piano Concerto No. 2, BRAHMS Symphony No. 4 Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Hong Kong | Guangzhou Opera House, Guangzhou | Wuhan Qintai Concert Hall, Wuhan |Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Shanghai | Seoul Arts Center, Seoul |Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall, Kawasaki | Suntory Hall, Tokyo
- Sep 2016London
Berliner Philharmoniker Sir Simon Rattle (conductor) PROGRAMMES: BOULEZ Eclat (original version), MAHLER Symphony No.7 ANDERSON Incantesimi, DVOŘÁK Slavonic Dances, op. 46 Nos 1 – 8, BRAHMS Symphony No.2 Royal Albert Hall, London
- May 2016Asia
Berliner Philharmoniker Sir Simon Rattle (conductor) Christian Elsner (tenor) PROGRAMMES: Beethoven Symphonies No.1 & No.9 Beethoven Symphony No.2 & No.9 Beethoven Symphonies No.1 & No.3 Beethoven Symphonies No.2 & No.5 Beethoven Symphonies No.8 & No.6 Beethoven Symphonies No.4 & No.7 Beethoven Symphony No.9 National Theatre & Concert Hall, Taipei | Suntory Hall, Tokyo
- Feb 2015London
Berliner Philharmoniker Sir Simon Rattle (conductor) Leonidas Kavakos (violin) Kate Royal (soprano) Magdalena Kožená (mezzo-soprano) Programme 1 SIBELIUS Symphony no.1 in E minor SIBELIUS Symphony no.2 in D major Programme 2 SIBELIUS Symphony no. 3 in C major SIBELIUS Violin Concerto SIBELIUS Symphony no.4 in A minor Programme 3 SIBELIUS Symphony no. 5 in Eb major SIBELIUS Symphony no. 6 in D minor SIBELIUS Symphony no. 7 in C major Programme 4 LACHENMANN Tableau [for orchestra] MAHLER Symphony no. 2 in C minor Barbican Centre, London | Royal Festival Hall, London
- Sep 2014London
Berliner Philharmoniker Sir Simon Rattle (conductor) Programme 1 RACHMANINOV Symphonic Dances STRAVINSKY The Firebird (complete ballet 1945) Programme 2 BACH St Matthew Passion Royal Albert Hall, London
- Nov 2013Asia
Berliner Philharmoniker Sir Simon Rattle (conductor) Daishin Kashimoto (violin) Programme 1 BOULEZ Notations I-VII-IV-III-II BRUCKNER Symphony No.7 Programme 2 SCHUMANN Symphony No.1 PROKOFIEV Violin Concerto No.1 STRAVINKSY Rite of Spring National Concert Hall, Taipei | Seoul Arts Centre, Seoul | Aichi Prefectural Arts Theater, Nagoya | Festival Hall, Osaka | Performing Arts Center, Hyogo | Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall, Kawasaki | Suntory Hall, Tokyo
Photos
Askonas Holt artists and touring partners to appear at the 2024 BBC Proms
The BBC Proms today announced the programme for this summer’s festival, with 29 Askonas Holt artists and touring partners making appearances.
The Askonas Holt Tours and Projects team this year continues a tradition of bringing world-renowned orchestras to the Royal Albert Hall. Daniel Barenboim returns to the UK for the first time since 2019, conducting the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra which he founded 25 years ago with Palestinian-American academic Edward Said.
Continuing a partnership that spans decades, the team is proud to once again be bringing the Berliner Philharmoniker and Chief Conductor Kirill Petrenko to London for two performances at the Royal Albert Hall, including Bruckner’s Symphony No.5 and Schumann’s Piano Concerto with soloist Víkingur Ólafsson. Also celebrating Bruckner’s anniversary year is Sir Simon Rattle and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, in their first Prom together since Sir Simon took up his position as Chief Conductor. Alongside the composer’s Symphony No.4, they present the UK premiere of Thomas Adès’s Aquifer followed by a second concert featuring Mahler’s Symphony No.6, both of which are on the programme for their current tour of the US.
Following extensive tours in the US and Europe in collaboration with Askonas Holt, recent signing Jakub Józef Orliński and il Pomo d’Oro present a performance of their critically acclaimed 2023 release Beyond. The Late-Night Prom on 23 July marks the countertenor’s Proms debut, and the Baroque ensemble's first appearance at Royal Albert Hall.
Edward Gardner and the London Philharmonic join forces with Benjamin Grosvenor for Busoni’s Piano Concerto and Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances, while Kirill Karabits and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra perform Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.5 and Jennifer Higdon’s Percussion Concerto with Evelyn Glennie.
Emmanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma return with frequent collaborator Leonidas Kavakos for a chamber prom of works by Beethoven. Denis Kozhukhin makes his third visit, teaming up with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for Ravel’s Piano Concerto, and Tobias Feldmann makes his Proms debut with Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with the BBC Philharmonic.
Also making his Proms debut is guitarist Plínio Fernandes, who, together with Braimah and Sheku Kanneh-Mason, present a family-friendly concert of folk songs, dances, prayers and incantations with the Fantasia Orchestra. They return the next day for a Relaxed Prom.
Cynthia Millar returns with the BBC Philharmonic for Messiaen’s Turangalila, followed the next evening by Lawrence Power who performs the BBC co-commissioned viola concerto I cannot love without trembling by Cassandra Miller. Daniel Pioro heads to the Glasshouse for an afternoon exploration into Elizabethan music and folklore.
Vocal enthusiasts will be treated to Grammy-award winning soprano Angel Blue’s Proms debut when she joins the massed forces of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Chorus and Singers for the Last Night of the Proms. Other choral favourites include Verdi’s Requiem with Karen Cargill and Soloman Howard, Mozart’s arrangement of Handel’s Messiah with Benjamin Hulett and Ashley Riches alongside six choirs and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields under John Butt.
For Holst’s 150th-anniversary year, Jess Dandy joins the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus performing his masterpiece The Cloud Messenger. New signing Alice Coote sings Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder, which featured on her critically-acclaimed recording of Mahler song cycles with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic. Baritone James Atkinson performs Fauré’s song-cycle La bonne chanson in a chamber prom that pays homage to fin de siècle Paris at Ulster Hall in Belfast. In another evening celebrating works by French composers, Laurence Kilsby performs Lili Boulanger’s Vieille prière bouddhique with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Finally, opera fans can catch Garsington Opera’s Proms debut with a semi-staged production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, starring Iestyn Davies as Oberon, Lucy Crowe as Tytania and Christine Rice as Hippolyta alongside the Philharmonia Orchestra.
The Proms run from 19 July to 14 September, with booking opening 18 May. All performances will be live on BBC Radio 3 and streamed on BBC Sounds, with a selection of Proms on TV and iPlayer.
- Daniel Barenboim
- Sir Simon Rattle
- Jakub Józef Orliński
- Edward Gardner
- Kirill Karabits OBE
- Emanuel Ax
- Yo-Yo Ma
- Tobias Feldmann
- Plínio Fernandes
- Cynthia Millar
- Lawrence Power
- Daniel Pioro
- Angel Blue
- Karen Cargill
- Soloman Howard
- Benjamin Hulett
- Ashley Riches
- Jess Dandy
- Alice Coote
- James Atkinson
- Laurence Kilsby
- Iestyn Davies
- Lucy Crowe
- Christine Rice
- Berliner Philharmoniker
- Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
- il Pomo d'Oro
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