Hamburg International Music Festival captivates 83,000 people
6 June 2025: Large crowds flock to concerts on the theme of »Future«
Press Information
The Hamburg International Music Festival came to an end yesterday with a sold-out performance by the London Symphony Orchestra in the Elbphilharmonie Grand Hall. Programmed around the overarching theme of »Future«, this year’s celebrated festival attracted some 83,000 people to 54 events in total, achieving an impressive 96% overall attendance rate.
Since 1 May, Hamburg has played host to an array of world-renowned classical music stars including Sir András Schiff, Camilla Nylund, Janine Jansen, Daniil Trifonov, Sol Gabetta and Igor Levit. Alan Gilbert conducted two remarkable performances of Alban Berg’s opera »Wozzeck«, a century on from its premiere and featuring Matthias Goerne in the title role. Kent Nagano opened a highly acclaimed series marking the 100th birthday of French composer Pierre Boulez with »Répons«. Sir Antonio Pappano and the London Symphony Orchestra paid tribute to him with richly sonorous performances of »Livre pour cordes« and »Mémoriale«. Tamara Stefanovich took on his reputedly unplayable Second Piano Sonata. Sir Simon Rattle and his Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra brought one of Boulez’s most impressive works, »Rituel«, to the Elbphilharmonie. The Vienna Philharmonic treated the audience to a fast-paced performance of »Messagesquisse«, while up-and-coming talents like Ema Nikolovska and Sean Shibe presented his chamber cantata »Le marteau sans maître«.
Other highlights included Gustav Mahler’s Sixth and Seventh Symphonies, performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in two acclaimed concerts, and a thrilling performance of Mahler’s »Resurrection Symphony« conducted by Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. The Elbphilharmonie also became a cinema for a screening of the classic film »Koyaanisqatsi«, featuring a live soundtrack by the Philip Glass Ensemble, a group that has long specialised in the music of its namesake. Now in its sixth decade, the Art Ensemble of Chicago received long ovations for its programme »Great Black Music – Ancient to the Future«.
Supported by the Förderkreis Internationales Musikfest Hamburg and the Elbphilharmonie Foundation.
The next edition of the music festival starts in May 2026 and will be dedicated to the theme of »End«. The programme is due to be announced on 18 November.
