Daria Challah is new Creator in Residence at the Elbphilharmonie

Hamburg, 16 September 2025: British social media personality Daria Challah is now Creator in Residence at the Elbphilharmonie. Over the past two years, online curator Challah has built up a loyal and engaged young community on TikTok and Instagram that is inspired by her passion for music. She will now take her followers on a journey of discovery into Hamburg’s concert hall in the 2025/26 season. In a series of video posts, Challah will not only immerse herself in the iconic architecture of the Elbphilharmonie, but also introduce selected artists, concerts and festivals; she will also appear as a host in one of the concert hall’s podcasts. The Elbphilharmonie was the first concert hall in the world to introduce the position of »Creator in Residence« in the 2023/24 season. The »Elphi« videos by American pianist and YouTuber Nahre Sol as well as by Australian music influencer Derrick Gee have been viewed millions of times over the past two seasons.

Daria Challah, who quickly gained over 100,000 followers with her »Herbert Music« accounts is a new curatorial voice in music. Her goal is to animate young people to listen to classical music – especially those who have not yet encountered the genre – and make discovery easier through short videos. She showcases a large variety of artists and explores the relationship between classical music, hip-hop, indie music and film music. With her videos, she wants to break down artificial barriers between different musical traditions and make as many young people as possible curious about music.

»Classical music was a world that I discovered and learnt to appreciate on my own and I want to share this world with as many people as possible«, says Daria Challah. »What I want to inspire in people is the confidence that this music is theirs to discover – no matter what prior knowledge they have, how old they are or where they come from. I try to show the many colours of this music – that it can be bold, quiet, romantic, that it can soothe, touch you and even change you. To have the opportunity to share the work of the Elbphilharmonie, its extraordinary space, the artists and festivals that represent so many different aspects of music, feels like an exciting way to embrace even more listeners.«

As part of her residency, Daria Challah will make several trips from her home in London to the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. Her personal highlights include concerts by Artist in Residence Kian Soltani and a performance by cellist, singer and composer Abel Selaocoe as part of the Elbphilharmonie’s Fast Lane series. Other highlights of the season for Challah include a performance by French pop sensation Zaho de Sagazan, concerts featuring works by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, whose spiritual and serene music is a focus of this season, and a festival in honor of legendary Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum.