Hamburg International Music Festival

Programme highlights to close the season: in this edition of the five-week festival, the great Hamburg orchestras and star guests explore the theme of »Future«

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg
Elbphilharmonie Hamburg © Thies Rätzke

What is classical music today in the present age? And where is it heading? As early as 1992, the American avant-garde composer John Cage spoke of a river delta where the river called music history had reached. What he meant by this was that everyone is now doing their own thing. Schools and pigeonholes have become obsolete. Music no longer knows any boundaries. Nevertheless, these questions remain exciting. And so this season, the Hamburg International Music Festival takes a look into the future – and at trendsetting works that were far ahead of their time. After all, Mozart, Beethoven & co. not only wrote new compositions non-stop, they also revolutionised music, exploded forms and harmonies and created something new and unprecedented.

Supported by Stiftung Elbphilharmonie and the Förderkreis Internationales Musikfest Hamburg

Events of the festival