Wed, 27 Jan 2027 20:00

Iveta Apkalna, organ

Liszt: Organ Fantasy & Prometheus and works by Shostakovich, Kalējs, Glass and Mozart

Tickets from €13 €13 | 16 | 28 | 41 | 48

Doors open 19:00
Start 20:00
Interval
End ca. 22:00

An organ celebrates its birthday

»In this large, circular hall, where gazes come from all directions, I feel entirely at ease – like in a large living room,« says Iveta Apkalna. Iveta Apkalna, titular organist of the Elbphilharmonie, has settled in extremely well over the past ten years at her artistic home. She knows the monumental instrument of the renowned organ builder Klais like no other. For the organ’s anniversary concert, the Latvian musician has put together a best-of programme from the past decade.

4,765 pipes, almost 70 registers and a weight of 25 tonnes – the organ in the Elbphilharmonie Grand Hall is truly impressive and continues to fascinate Iveta Apkalna time and again: »This organ allows you to play anything. Artistically, there is complete freedom, because everything works and sounds good.« She showcases this rich tonal palette with works by Mozart, Liszt and Philip Glass – a journey from the Classical and Romantic periods to modern minimalism.

The evening begins with darkly dramatic sounds from Dmitri Shostakovich’s opera »Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk«, followed by the striking tone painting that Liszt developed from a short melody by Giacomo Meyerbeer. The immense pull that the organ can generate becomes clear in the finale from Philip Glass’s opera »Satyagraha«: inspired by Gandhi’s biography, the meditative music gives voice to various movements for peace and freedom. To conclude, Apkalna contributes to this season’s »Prometheus« focus with an arrangement of Liszt’s symphonic poem of the same name.

Performers

Iveta Apkalna organ

Programme

Dmitri Schostakowitsch
Passacaglia from the opera »Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk«

Franz Liszt
Fantasy and Fugue on the chorale »Ad nos, ad salutarem undam«, S 259

Aivars Kalējs
Toccata on the chorale »Allein Gott in der Höh’ sei Ehr«

– Interval –

Philip Glass
Finale from the opera »Satyagraha« (adaptation for organ by Michael Riesman)

Johann Sebastian Bach
Passacaglia in C minor, BWV 582

Franz Liszt
Prometheus / Symphonic Poem No. 5, S 99

Subscription

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Series

The Elbphilharmonie Organ

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Spotlight

Prometheus

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Promoter: HamburgMusik

Supported by the Stiftung Elbphilharmonie

From the Mediatheque : Videos, Podcasts, Articles

: Arvo Pärt: »Spiegel im Spiegel«

Iveta Apkalna plays Arvo Pärt‘s soulful »Spiegel im Spiegel« in an arrangement for organ. #Highlights #ArvoPärt #Organ

Elbphilharmonie Talk with Iveta Apkalna

About family life during the coronavirus pandemic and the search for the perfect (organ) shoemaker. #Interview #Organ #Podcast

Location : Elbphilharmonie
Großer Saal

Heart of the Elbphilharmonie: the Grand Hall seats 2,100 guests in the »vineyard« style. The stage for artists and orchestras is situated at the centre of the concert hall and is surrounded by terraced seating.

Arrival time

The Elbphilharmonie is a special building situated in a special place. Allow for plenty of time for getting to the Elbphilharmonie and the way to the concert area. We suggest visitors arrive at the Elbphilharmonie Plaza not later than 30 minutes before the start of the concert or event. Late seating is not guaranteed and latecomers may not be admitted to the concert hall.

Concert tickets for the Grand and Recital Halls authorise a visit to the Plaza from two hours before the start of the concert or event. Visitors to the Kaistudios require a separate Plaza ticket to visit the Plaza.

Admission times:

Events without pre-concert talk:
Grand Hall Foyer: 60 minutes before the start of the event
Grand Hall: 30 minutes before the start of the event

Events with pre-concert talk:
Grand Hall Foyer: 90 minutes before the start of the event
Grand Hall: 15 minutes before the start of the talk

If a pre-concert talk is offered for this event, it is noted above under PROGRAMME.
Getting here

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg
Platz der Deutschen Einheit
20457 Hamburg

The Elbphilharmonie can be easily reached by bus, underground, bicycle and ferry.

The nearest stops include:
Underground line U3: Baumwall
Underground line U4: Überseequartier
Bus 2, 111: Am Kaiserkai (Elbphilharmonie)
Bus 6: Auf dem Sande (Speicherstadt)
Ferry 72 (from Landungsbrücken pier): »Elbphilharmonie« pier
StadtRAD (bicycle sharing system) stations: U Baumwall (Elbphilharmonie) and Am Kaiserkai / Großer Grasbrook

Multistorey car park in the Elbphilharmonie (open 24/7, 435 parking spaces):
Please note that visitors to the Elbphilharmonie should use the entrance marked »Elbphilharmonie«. The entrance »Elbphilharmonie Hotel« is reserved for »The Westin Hamburg« hotel guests.

Please find more information about prices and advance booking of the discounted flat rate on this page: arrival by car
Finding your seat

All visitors enter the building via the main entrance; access to the concert hall is via the »Plaza«, the viewing platform on the 8th floor of the Elbphilharmonie. The Plaza can be reached from the entrance area via the long escalator. Your tickets will be checked twice, at the access control in the entrance area and on the Plaza in front of the staircase to the Great Hall.

The hall entrances are on floors 12, 13, 15 and 16.
Cloakroom

The cloakrooms are located on the 11th floor (fee: € 2). Jackets and handbags may be taken into the hall.

Walking-stick umbrellas, bags sized A3 (42 x 30 cm) or above, luggage and other bulky items must be stored in the lockers (largest size 27 x 87 x 47 cm) located in the corridor leading to the ticket shop on the ground floor (on the right-hand side of the entrance area).

Strollers and prams can be left with the admissions personnel on the Plaza. Wheeled walkers can be handed in at the hall entrances.
Toilet Facilities

The central toilet facility is located on the 13th floor of the Grand Hall Foyer. Further facilities can be found on floors 11, 12 and 15.

Fully accessible toilets are located on floors 12 (north side) and 13 (right-hand side of the large bar). Our front-of-house staff is happy to assist you in this regard.
Coughing, clapping, chatting – Tips for your concert visit

A concert at the Elbphilharmonie is a unique experience for both audience and artists. Guests and musicians alike rave about the precise acoustics in the Grand Hall. You can hear every note, even from the highest balcony.

Unfortunately, the opposite is also true: even presumably quiet noises from the audience are clearly audible in the entire hall. We therefore ask our visitors to take the following recommendations into consideration: Tips for your concert visit
Photography and video recordings

It is forbidden to take photographs or record videos during a concert or event. Video recordings and photography are permitted for private purposes only on the Plaza and in the foyers as well as before the start or following an event in the concert hall, provided that you respect the privacy of other visitors and do not interfere with regular business operations. Employees may not be photographed or filmed.

Photography, audio or video recordings of concerts and events are strictly prohibited.

Event-related video recordings or photographs for editorial or commercial purposes must be authorised by the Press Office of the Elbphilharmonie.
Accessibility

All halls and spaces are accessible for visitors with disabilities. More information at www.elbphilharmonie.de/en/accessibility.

Lifts to the Plaza are located in the tunnel on the right-hand side of the Tube (long escalator). From the Plaza, access to the Grand and Recital Hall foyers is via lifts, also located to the right. Please note: cloakrooms for visitors to the Grand Hall are only located on the 11th floor. From there, the upper floors can be accessed via further lifts.