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Symphony Concert

Sir Donald with Mahler

The chief conductor with Mahler's First Symphony, along with Beethoven's 5th Piano Concerto.
© Simon Pauly

6/11

Thursday | 6/11/2026
7:00 pm Start of Concert
Concert introduction with Albert Breier 1 hour before the concert starts in the hall of the Central Library (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

When Beethoven wrote his Fifth and final piano concerto in 1809, Vienna was besieged by Napoleon's troops. The sounds of war and economic uncertainty – his patron Archduke Rudolf had left the city – influenced the creation of the work. Beethoven composed a piano concerto with an exceptionally new form for the time, in which the soloist alternates between heroic and peaceful moments. Despite the difficult circumstances, the work does not reflect fatalism, but rather a solemn struggle for freedom and against oppression. Gustav Mahler's First Symphony also reflects intense personal experiences. His unhappy love for the singer Johanna Richter inspired him to create the "Songs of a Wayfarer," from which he incorporated motifs into the first and third movements of the symphony. In an emotional state of exception, Mahler completed the symphony in just six weeks. The premiere in Budapest in 1889 was met with incomprehension, prompting Mahler to revise the work multiple times. Today, it is among his most frequently performed symphonies.

Program

Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major

Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 1 in D major

Artists

Sir Donald Runnicles
Conductor
Masaya Kamei
Piano
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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Masaya Kamei

Pianist Masaya Kamei thrilled the audience in 2022 with a triple victory at the Long-Thibaud International Competition in France. He started playing the piano when he was four years old and completed his bachelor's degree in his native Japan, while he is currently doing his master's at the University of Music Karlsruhe. In Japan, he has already performed with all the major orchestras and is now also making a name for himself in Europe. In 2025, he takes part in the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels.

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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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