Every new season from the Berliner Philarmoniker draws global attention—not only for its in-person concerts but also for the orchestra’s worldwide reach through its Digital Concert Hall. The announcement of the 2025–26 season confirms the ensemble’s enduring commitment to musical innovation, historical reflection, and international engagement.
For the 2025–26 season, the Digital Concert Hall presents a programme rich in tradition, innovation, and international scope. Janine Jansen joins as Artist in Residence, while Jordi Savall makes his long-awaited debut. Kirill Petrenko continues to shape the orchestra’s identity with major works by Mahler, Wagner, and Stravinsky, alongside contemporary composers like Pascal Dusapin. A notable thread throughout the season is Controversial!, a thematic focus that reflects on musical and cultural polarities. The programme also features four conductor debuts, several world and German premieres, and a strong international presence through extensive touring and in-person concerts.
Kirill Petrenko: Mahler, Wagner and modernism
Kirill Petrenko remains deeply involved in shaping the season, with a strong presence in Berlin and on international tours. Among the highlights is a rare performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, which returns to the orchestra’s repertoire after 15 years, and Wagner’s Das Rheingold, presented at the Easter Festival in Salzburg in a staging by Kirill Serebrennikov.
Petrenko’s season opens with Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s Oboe Concerto—featuring soloist Albrecht Mayer—and Brahms’s Symphony No. 1. Other symphonic programmes include Stravinsky’s Petrushka and Pulcinella, Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, Janáček’s Lachian Dances, Scriabin’s Symphony No. 3, and contemporary works such as Dusapin’s Exeo.
He will also lead three televised concerts, including the annual Europakonzert, to be held at Esterházy Palace, with a programme of Haydn, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven.
Janine Jansen: Artist in Residence
Dutch violinist Janine Jansen takes on the role of Artist in Residence for the season, deepening her long-standing connection with the orchestra. She will appear in chamber concerts, lead projects with the Karajan Academy, and perform as soloist under two conductors closely linked to the Philharmoniker.
With Kirill Petrenko, she will play Brahms’s Violin Concerto; with Sir Simon Rattle, she’ll take on Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1. Jansen’s broad involvement reflects both her artistic versatility and the trust she has built with the Berlin musicians since her 2006 debut at the Waldbühne.
Jordi Savall: a Baroque master’s debut
Long celebrated for his work with historical performance, Jordi Savall makes his debut conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker this season. He will lead a programme of works by Rameau, Gluck, and Mozart, while also appearing with his own ensembles: Le Concert des Nations (featuring Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto and Requiem) and Hespèrion XXI (in a Spanish Baroque programme).
As part of the Karajan Academy’s activities, Savall will also guide a performance of Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks, underlining his role not only as performer but also as mentor and educator.
New debuts and returning favourites
Four conductors will lead the Philharmoniker for the first time:
- Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, with the German premiere of John Williams’ Piano Concerto (soloist: Emanuel Ax)
- Thomas Guggeis, in a literary-themed programme with cellist Maximilian Hornung
- Petr Popelka, conducting Berg’s Violin Concerto with Gil Shaham
- Raphaël Pichon, presenting Bach’s Mass in B minor
Several returning names round out the conducting roster, including Emmanuelle Haïm, Gustavo Dudamel, Klaus Mäkelä, Herbert Blomstedt, Daniel Barenboim, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Daniele Gatti, Semyon Bychkov, Jakub Hrůša, and Paavo Järvi.
Guest soloists
The 2025–26 season features a wide array of internationally acclaimed soloists. Returning favourites include violinists Hilary Hahn, Julia Fischer, and Janine Jansen, as well as pianists Lang Lang, Víkingur Ólafsson, Emanuel Ax, Lucas and Arthur Jussen, and Sunwook Kim.
In the vocal field, standout appearances include Joyce DiDonato, Philippe Jaroussky, Jonas Kaufmann, Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, Golda Schultz, and Konstantin Krimmel. Cellist Gautier Capuçon returns for the Europakonzert, while clarinettist Martin Fröst appears as guest soloist.
Among the orchestra’s own musicians, Albrecht Mayer, principal oboe, will feature in performances of Zimmermann’s Oboe Concerto in Berlin and on tour.
**Thematic focus: Controversial! **
This season’s thematic arc, Controversial!, explores how musical disputes—from aesthetic battles to ideological clashes—have shaped the development of the art form.
The idea is explored across orchestral and chamber concerts alike: Mendelssohn and Berlioz, Brahms and Liszt, Schoenberg and Shostakovich, Mozart and Salieri, all appear as contrasting figures. The programme also touches on historic scandals, such as Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Bartók’s The Miraculous Mandarin, and Wagner’s Tannhäuser.
Political tensions are also evoked in programmes featuring music by Prokofiev and Weinberg (Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla) or Gabriela Ortiz’s Revolución diamantina (German premiere, conducted by Dudamel).
Premieres and commissions
The Philharmoniker will present several new works this season:
- German premiere of John Williams’ Piano Concerto (Ax / Gražinytė-Tyla)
- German premiere of Andrew Norman’s Play for Orchestra (Mäkelä)
- German premiere of Gabriela Ortiz’s Revolución diamantina (Dudamel)
- World premiere of Between Five Columns by Ondřej Adámek, in honour of Pierre Boulez (Roth)
Touring activity
Kirill Petrenko will conduct all tour concerts in 2025–26, beginning with appearances at the Salzburg and Lucerne Festivals and continuing through Paris, Luxembourg, and Dresden.
A major Asia Tour in November 2025 includes twelve concerts across Seoul, Taipei, Shanghai, and Japan. The tour repertoire will span Brahms, Bartók, Janáček, Stravinsky, and Schumann.
The season will conclude with the Europakonzert in Eisenstadt (May 1, 2026), followed by concerts in Vienna, Munich, and Künzelsau.
Education and outreach
The orchestra continues its educational mission with projects like the Be Phil Orchestra (open to amateur musicians at the Salzburg Easter Festival), family concerts curated by Petrenko, and the Open Day at the Philharmonie Berlin (June 2026). Other outreach includes free lunch concerts, the youngSTAR Festival, and interdisciplinary work with youth in Kreuzberg.
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