Symphony concert

Anniversary concert Cologne Philharmonic Hall

14. Sep 2026
Kölner Philharmonie
Prices
12–57 €
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Program

  • WDR Sinfonieorchester

  • Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

    Sinfonie Nr. 5 d-Moll op 107
    »Reformationssinfonie«

    Jörg Widmann
    ad absurdum Konzertstück für Trompete und kleines Orchester

  • Gürzenich-Orchester

  • Johannes Brahms

    Gesang aus Fingal op. 17b
    1860
    Richard Strauss
    Also sprach Zarathustra op. 30, TrV 176
    1896

Cast

Dates

14.09.
Mon, 20:00
Kölner Philharmonie
from 12,00€
Tickets

Four decades of musical excellence: 40 years ago, on 14 September 1986, the Cologne Philharmonic Hall opened its doors – with a programme featuring Romantic classics and contemporary music.

The anniversary concert builds on these early days, featuring Mendelssohn’s ‘Reformation Symphony’ with its solemn chorale at the end and the monumental sunrise at the beginning of Strauss’s famous tone poem ‘Thus Spoke Zarathustra’, as well as the concert piece ‘ad absurdum’ by contemporary composer Jörg Widmann. To this end, Cologne’s two major orchestras are joining forces: the WDR Symphony Orchestra and the Gürzenich Orchestra, which was already part of the celebratory opening concert 40 years ago. Cologne’s General Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada ensures the necessary overview of this massive ensemble.

Supported by the Kuratorium KölnMusik e.V.

A Brahms discovery from the Gürzenich Orchestra’s music archive

It is one of the rare strokes of luck in music history when an unknown original work by a great composer is discovered. This find is all the more remarkable: a work by Johannes Brahms has been found in the archives of the Gürzenich Orchestra in Cologne, opening up new perspectives on his oeuvre. A discovery that shows that even well-known names still hold surprises

Learn more