Published on: 30.03.2026

The power of the small ensemble

Chamber music is central to the Salzburg Easter Festival, performed by members of the Berliner Philharmoniker. The chamber music tradition of the orchestra is a core part of its excellence, and is presented in Salzburg with particular pride. Discover all the concerts at a glance.

Concert pictures of the chamber music concert “Tradition and Openness”

A string quartet performs on stage in a grand, ornate concert hall with a large pipe organ and an audience seated in front of them. The hall has decorative gold details and chandeliers. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

Two violinists, one man and one woman, perform on stage in elegant attire. They are seated with music stands in front of them, against a background of cream-colored paneled walls. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

A violinist in a black suit plays music on stage, reading from sheet music, with another violinist partially visible beside him. The setting appears to be a formal indoor performance. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

A string quintet performs on a grand concert hall stage with ornate walls, large organ pipes, elegant chandeliers, and an attentive audience seated in front. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

A musician in a dark suit sits on stage playing a cello, surrounded by music stands with sheet music, in a well-lit concert hall with wooden floors and white-paneled walls. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

A smiling man in a suit sits onstage holding a cello beside a music stand with sheet music, appearing relaxed and happy during a musical performance. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

Six classical musicians, seated on stage with string instruments, hold their bows aloft in a grand concert hall with ornate paneling and a large pipe organ in the background. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

Six musicians with string instruments stand onstage in an elegant concert hall, bowing to a seated audience. The stage features ornate decor, a grand organ, and empty chairs. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

On 28 March, the Philharmonic String Sextet Berlin presented a chamber concert entitled “Tradition and Openness”, featuring works by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Pyotr Tchaikovsky. The performers were Cornelia Gartemann (violin), Christoph von der Nahmer (violin), Julia Gartemann (viola), Martin von der Nahmer (viola), Knut Weber (cello) and Stephan Koncz (cello).

Images from chamber concert II “Farewell to the Beautiful World”

A man in a dark suit plays a clarinet on stage in front of an audience, with sheet music in front of him and large windows revealing trees in the background. — Picture: Erika Mayer

Eine Frau in einem schwarzen ärmellosen Oberteil spielt auf der Bühne konzentriert Cello. Sie sitzt vor einem offenen Notenpult, mit einem Publikum und großen Fenstern im Hintergrund. — Picture: Erika Mayer

Two violinists perform on stage, seated side by side, reading sheet music. They are dressed in formal black attire, with a blurred audience and large windows showing greenery in the background. — Picture: Erika Mayer

Five musicians perform with string and wind instruments on stage before an audience, with large windows showing trees and a historic building in the background. — Picture: Erika Mayer

Five musicians with string instruments stand onstage before music stands, facing a seated audience. Large windows behind them reveal trees and buildings outside. — Picture: Erika Mayer

On 29 March, Roxana Natalia Wisniewska Zabek (violin), Harry Ward (violin), Joaquín Riquelme García (viola), Solène Kermarrec (cello) and Andraž Golob (clarinet) performed a chamber concert entitled “Farewell to the Beautiful World”. The programme featured works by Alexander Glazunov and Johannes Brahms.

Impressions of the first Late Night with the Berlin Philharmonic Brass

A brass ensemble of eleven musicians in formal black attire performs on stage with music stands, trumpets, trombones, and a tuba, under bright overhead lights against a dark background. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

Five men in formal black suits stand on stage holding trombones, smiling and talking to each other. Yellow sheet music stands are in front of them, and the background is dark. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

Four men in tuxedos play trombones on stage, each standing behind a yellow music stand. Various brass instruments and mutes are on the floor, and the background is black. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

Four men in tuxedos play trumpets on a dimly lit stage, standing behind music stands with yellow sheets. Brass instrument mutes and cases are on the floor in front of them. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

Three men in formal attire stand on stage holding brass instruments. The man in front smiles, while the two behind him, one clapping, stand near a music stand against a dark background. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

A man in formal attire sits on a stool on stage, smiling and holding a large brass tuba. Three yellow music stands are arranged in front of him, and the background is dark. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

Four musicians in formal attire stand on stage with brass instruments and music stands, smiling and conversing. Various mutes and instrument accessories are on the floor in front of them. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

A brass band of twelve musicians in formal attire stands in a line onstage, holding their instruments and bowing to an audience seated in a dark theater. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

A brass ensemble performs on a stage under bright lights for a large seated audience in a darkened theater. The musicians stand in a semicircle, each playing a brass instrument. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

On 30 March, the brass ensemble of the Berliner Philharmoniker presented a programme entitled “Music from Five Centuries”, performed by Guillaume Jehl (trumpet), Tamás Velenczei (trumpet), Sarah Willis (horn), Olaf Ott (trombone), Jesper Busk Sørensen (trombone), Stefan Schulz (trombone), Alexander von Puttkamer (tuba), David Guerrier (trumpet), Bertold Stecher (trumpet), Jonathon Robert Ramsay (trombone) and Franz Schindlbeck (percussion).

Pictures of the chamber concert III “Counterpoint Mozart & Salieri”

Four classical musicians with string instruments, including violins and a cello, walk onto an ornate concert hall stage, smiling and preparing to perform. Large organ pipes and chandeliers are visible in the background. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

Five musicians in formal attire perform on stage as a classical string quintet, each playing string instruments and reading sheet music, with an ornate wall and empty audience seats behind them. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

Five musicians perform a string quintet on stage in an elegant concert hall, surrounded by ornate gold and cream decor, seated with sheet music stands and classical string instruments. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

Five musicians in formal attire perform a string quintet on stage, each holding a string instrument with bows raised, in an elegant concert hall with ornate gold detailing and panelled walls. — Picture: Monika Rittershaus

On 30 March 2026, Johanna Pichlmair (violin), Rachel Schmidt (violin), Tobias Reifland (viola), Kyoungmin Park (viola), Moritz Huemer (cello) and László Gál (horn) presented Chamber Concert III of the Easter Festival in the Great Hall of the Mozarteum Salzburg under the title “Counterpoint Mozart & Salieri”, featuring works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri.

Scene from Wagner’s opera Das Rheingold with singers on stage. — Picture: Berlin Philharmonic / Film still from Das Rheingold (1967)

Karajan’s Salzburg “Rheingold” in the Digital Concert HallPrevious article

With Wagner’s “Ring”, Herbert von Karajan sensationally launched the Salzburg Easter Festival in 1967. A recording of “Das Rheingold” in the Digital Concert Hall now offers a fascinating retrospective.

Inside “Das Rheingold” – Part 1Next article

Ahead of the “Rheingold” premiere at the Salzburg Easter Festival, we went behind the scenes and spoke to some of those involved: baritone Christian Gerhaher, our Wotan, director Kirill Serebrennikov, and of course members of the Berliner Philharmoniker.

The power of the small ensemble The power of the small ensemble

Concert pictures of the chamber music concert “Tradition and Openness”

Images from chamber concert II “Farewell to the Beautiful World”

Impressions of the first Late Night with the Berlin Philharmonic Brass

Pictures of the chamber concert III “Counterpoint Mozart & Salieri”

The power of the small ensemble