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Symphony Concert

Sir Donald with Brahms

Sir Donald Runnicles opens the British Festival.
© Oliver Killig

11/14

Friday | 11/14/2025
7:00 pm Start of Concert
Concert introduction with Albert Breier 1 hour before the concert starts at Café Tutti - Foyer 1st floor.
Kulturpalast, Konzertsaal
Prices
64 | 53 | 45 | 39 | 29 | 22 €
FLEX fee + 6 €
Reduced prices:
from € 10 for pupils under 18 
from €10 for young people under 30
from 11 € for Dresden-Pass and SB from GdB 80
8 € for last minute
Who receives discounts? Read here.

About the Concert

Sneak Peek

With this concert, Sir Donald Runnicles assumes his position as chief conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic and simultaneously opens our British Festival. The evening, full of European and British music history, begins with Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis," a deeply emotional and majestic piece that highlights the beauty of the English music tradition. William Walton's Concerto for Viola and Orchestra puts the larger sister of the violin in the spotlight. With virtuosic solo passages and dynamic orchestral accompaniment, this piece creates goosebump moments and showcases the viola in all its versatility and expressiveness. The crowning finale is Johannes Brahms' Fourth Symphony, a masterpiece that initially faced challenges at its inception. Its beginning appeared too abstract to contemporaries. Today, 140 years after its creation, the poetry of this beginning, the exuberance of the third movement, and the solemnity of the finale make Brahms' Fourth one of the most beloved symphonies of all time.

Program

Ralph Vaughan Williams
"Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis"

William Walton
Concerto for Viola and Orchestra

Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 4 in E Minor

Artists

Sir Donald Runnicles
Conductor
Timothy Ridout
Viola
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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Timothy Ridout

British violist Timothy Ridout is a highly regarded soloist and chamber music partner who has performed on major stages across Europe and North America. The 30-year-old's discography is highly impressive, testifying to his extensive repertoire and earning him several awards. Since 2024/25, he has been one of the "Junge Wilde" (Young Wild Ones) at the Konzerthaus Dortmund, and in spring 2026 he will be the guest artistic director of the Festspielfrühling Rügen festival, where he will be responsible for 17 programs.

 

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Dresdner Philharmonie

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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