Nationales Symphonieorchester der Ukraine

About the Event

Raphaela Gromes, a soloist whose concerts have been described by the French classical music magazine Le Diapason as an “hour of happiness”, will be performing at the Berlin Philharmonie. The internationally renowned cellist's playing is characterized by expressiveness and perfection, as is her social commitment, which extends far beyond her home city of Munich.

The National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine will open the evening with the overture from the opera “Il Quinto Fabio” by Ukrainian composer and Mozart contemporary Dmitri Bortniansky (1751‐1825). This rarely performed work is followed by Dvořák's Cello Concerto in B minor with Raphaela Gromes as the soloist. With its profound melodicism, it is considered one of the most important and beautiful cello concertos ever written. And this despite the fact that the composer actually disliked the cello and considered it unsuitable as a solo instrument. Dvořák was still in New York while working on this concerto in 1894/1895, but was already mentally on his way back to his beloved and dearly missed Bohemian homeland. His famous Ninth, the symphony “From the New World”, was also composed a year earlier, with which the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, founded in 1918, concludes the evening under the direction of its chief conductor Volodymyr Sirenko.

Philharmonie Berlin

The Philharmonie is a concert hall opened in 1963 in West Berlin. It is considered the musical heart of the German capital, as well as the new urban centre after the fall of the infamous Berlin Wall. Its distinctive bright yellow exterior and unusual tent‐like shape quickly made it a city landmark. The surprising design and architecture were initially viewed negatively by many, but the Philharmonie is now considered a model for concert halls worldwide. The architect, Hans Scharoun, aimed to design a concert hall in which the focal point — the musicians on the concert platform — is equally visible from every seat, an aim that gave rise to the hall's unusual shape. Since its inauguration, the Berliner Philharmonie has hosted numerous concerts, often featuring acclaimed soloists and conductors.