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Special Concert - Symphony Concert

Carmina Burana

The famous choral work with Chief Conductor Sir Donald Runnicles
© Oliver Killig

09/12

Saturday | 09/12/2026
7:00 pm Start of Concert
Kulturpalast, Konzertsaal

Prices
from 64 | 53 | 45 | 39 | 29 | 22 €
FLEXFee + 6 €
Discounted prices:
from 10 € for students under 18 years old
from 10 € for young people under 30 years old
from 11 € for Dresden-Pass holders and severely disabled individuals with a degree of disability (GdB) of 80 or more
Who is eligible for discounts? Read here.

09/13

Sunday | 09/13/2026
6:00 pm Start of Concert
Kulturpalast, Konzertsaal

Prices
from 64 | 53 | 45 | 39 | 29 | 22 €
FLEXFee + 6 €
Discounted prices:
from 10 € for students under 18 years old
from 10 € for young people under 30 years old
from 11 € for Dresden-Pass holders and severely disabled individuals with a degree of disability (GdB) of 80 or more
Who is eligible for discounts? Read here.

About the Concert

Sounds that immediately captivate and get under your skin. Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" is one of those rare works that also excite people who otherwise have nothing to do with classical music. Since its premiere in 1937, it has been the most frequently performed choral work with orchestra worldwide. The ingredients are rather unsuitable for the masses: Middle High German and Latin texts from the 11th century, set to music with stylistic elements of the Middle Ages. But Orff knew how to do it: a huge choir, massive orchestra, percussion like thunder - even the opening chorus feels like a natural event... Our chief conductor Sir Donald Runnicles has combined it with "Pini di Roma" by Ottorino Respighi, which impresses with an equally immediate, colorful language of sound that relies on strong effects, clear tonality, and emotional directness. Both works were created during times of fascist regimes and were used for propaganda purposes due to their monumental, easily accessible aesthetics - with Respighi through the image of Roman legions, and with Orff through archaic choral masses. However, the problem is not so much the music itself as its historical proximity to totalitarian symbolism.

Programme

Ottorino Respighi
"Pini di Roma"

Carl Orff
"Carmina Burana"

Artists

Sir Donald Runnicles
Conductor
Lilit Davtyan
Soprano
Sunnyboy Dladla
Tenor
Thomas Lehman
Baritone
Prager Philharmonischer Chor
Philharmonischer Chor Dresden
Philharmonischer Kinderchor Dresden
Dresdner Philharmonie

Biographies

Sir Donald Runnicles

Chief Conductor of the Dresdner Philharmonie

Introducing Sir Donald Runnicles! More pictures & videos of our new Chief Conductor can be found here.

Sir Donald Runnicles has been Chief Conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic since the start of the 2025/26 season. In his first Dresden season, he will be presenting Strauss's "Elektra" in concert, conducting concerts at the British Festival, and leading the orchestra on a tour of Asia, to name just a few projects. The Scotsman will also remain General Music Director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin until mid-2026. He stands for the principle of quality over quantity and has thus established close artistic ties with renowned institutions worldwide, both in the opera pit and on the concert podium.

 

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Lilit Davtyan

The young Armenian soprano Lilit Davtyan has been enriching the ensemble of the Deutsche Oper Berlin as a scholarship holder since 2023/24. Recently, she has performed there in roles such as Pamina in ‘The Magic Flute’, Frasquita in “Carmen” and Gilda in ‘Rigoletto’. After completing her studies in Yerevan, she was part of the Bolshoi Theatre's Young Artists Opera Programme from 2021 to 2023, the Young Singers Project at the Salzburg Festival in 2023 and was a resident artist at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence in 2024.

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Sunnyboy Dladla

South African tenor Sunnyboy Dladla is one of the most exciting and sought-after Rossini interpreters of his generation. With his brilliantly clear voice and outstanding stage presence, he combines an active opera career with numerous concert appearances. His signature role is the Conte d'Almaviva in Rossini's "Il barbiere di Siviglia", but he can also be heard in roles such as Arone in "Mosè in Egitto" and Ferrando in Mozart's "Così fan tutte", and sings in Orff's "Carmina Burana" throughout Europe.

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Thomas Lehman

American baritone Thomas Lehman began his career in the ensemble of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, where he remains a member to this day and where he developed numerous roles in his fach before moving on to other international stages. In recent years, he has performed in Munich, Hamburg, London, Detroit and San Francisco, among other places. He is currently devoting much of his time to Wagner's operas and sings Kurwenal, Wolfram and Gunther. He can also be heard on the concert stage, for example in "Carmina Burana".

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Prager Philharmonischer Chor

The Prague Philharmonic Choir was founded 90 years ago, making it the oldest professional choir in the Czech Republic. It performs frequently in its home country with local orchestras, but also in other European countries as a sought-after musical partner of renowned ensembles. For example, the choir has been Choir in Residence at the Bregenz Festival since 2010. Its discography has won numerous awards and continues to grow steadily.

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Philharmonischer Chor Dresden

The Dresden Philharmonic Choir has been active for over 55 years, since it was founded in 1967 on the initiative of Kurt Masur. The approximately 70 singers perform the demanding choral work in their free time. They give concerts with the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of the respective chief and guest conductors, collaborate with other choirs and orchestras and perform a cappella programs in and outside of Dresden. Iris Geißler has led the ensemble since October 2022.

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Philharmonischer Kinderchor Dresden

The Philharmonische Kinderchor Dresden is one of the most well-known and successful children's choirs in Germany and can look back on a history of over fifty years. 140 girls and boys currently sing in the choir's various formations, sometimes in performances with the Dresden Philharmonic and sometimes in their own concerts. The programs include works from the Renaissance to the 21st century, from many countries and cultures, from folk songs to pop adaptations.

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Dresdner Philharmonie

Top Class!

Top class! That is the claim of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestra stands for concerts at the highest artistic level, musical education for all ages and looking beyond the musical horizon. Guest performances on almost every continent and collaborations with guests from all over the world have established the reputation of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra in the international classical music world.  

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