Orchester zu Gast - WDR Sinfonieorchester

In the organizer's words:

WDR Symphony Orchestra
Guest orchestra

WDR Symphony Orchestra
Cristian Măcelaru Conductor
Kian Soltani Violoncello

Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky
Nocturne op. 19 No. 4
Variations on a Rococo Theme op. 33
Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 5

Following the Duisburg Philharmonic's guest performance in the Cologne Philharmonie at the beginning of the season, the Cologne-based WDR Symphony Orchestra is now making a return visit to the Philharmonie Mercatorhalle. Romanian-born Cristian Măcelaru was chief conductor there from 2019 until the summer of 2025 - and will continue to be associated with the orchestra as Artistic Partner before Marie Jacquot becomes the new chief conductor in the cathedral city from the 2026/2027 season. In their years together, Măcelaru and the WDR Symphony Orchestra have repeatedly explored the symphonies of Gustav Mahler. And they will also be playing Mahler during their guest performance in Duisburg. More precisely, Mahler's 5th Symphony, whose famous "Adagietto" was an enchantingly beautiful declaration of love by the composer to his wife Alma and which served Luchino Visconti as an atmospheric soundtrack for his Thomas Mann film "Death in Venice". Before that, there are two Tchaikovsky pieces and two orchestral pieces with solo cello: the night-dreaming "Nocturne", in which the cello is allowed to sing out wonderfully in an elegiac melody, and the "Rococo Variations", a musical genuflection by Tchaikovsky to his revered role model Mozart. The young star cellist Kian Soltani makes his debut in Duisburg as a soloist.