“Paradise lost? – On the threat to nature” The Berliner Philharmoniker’s Biennale
Date
13.02. - 01.03.25
Programme
Concerts · Lectures
Co-operations with museums
Works by
Srnka · Varèse · Beethoven
Tarkiainen · Dean · Villa-Lobos
Scriabin · Saariaho · Debussy a. o.
Artists
David Robertson · Marin Alsop ·
Dalia Stasevska · Alexander Melnikov a. o.
Climate change and species extinction threaten our planet. In February 2025, the Berliner Philharmoniker’s Biennale will address the threat to nature in a series of events titled Paradise lost? The perspectives are diverse: works such as Debussy’s La Mer and Beethoven’s Pastorale celebrate the beauty of our world, Miroslav Srnka’s Superorganisms shows the interconnectedness of life forms, Brett Dean’s Fire Music depicts the destruction caused by a bushfire. Discussion panels, lectures by experts and collaborations with museums and other orchestras will explore the theme in greater depth. The aim? A sharpened view of the crises and fresh perspectives for our future.
About the festival: Programme focus
Heat, drought, floods – extreme weather events are hitting us more frequently and more severely. Our planet is in danger, and the cause is man-made climate change. Scientists agree that rapid and consistent countermeasures are needed. The Berliner Philharmoniker’s third Biennale in February 2025 will focus on this existential challenge with a series titled Paradise lost? On the threat to nature.
As part of the series, the Berliner Philharmoniker with present three concerts with David Robertson (replacing Kirill Petrenko) and guest conductors Marin Alsop and Dalia Stasevska; additional concerts will feature visiting soloists such as pianist Alexander Melnikov. Through the medium of music, the audience will be confronted with the devastating power of the elements of fire and water, but will also experience the breathtaking beauty of the Amazon rainforest. A total of three commissioned compositions, including the new work Superorganisms by Czech composer Miroslav Srnka, are dedicated to the Biennale theme. There will be chamber music and late-night concerts in additional locations around the city. Concerts by the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and the Freiburger Barockorchester complete the festival’s music programme.
However, the Berliner Philharmoniker’s Biennale is a cross-genre and cross-art-form festival that creates additional perspectives through events beyond the traditional scope of a concert hall. Partners for the next edition include the Berlin Natural History Museum and the Berlin State Library. Exhibitions, readings, talks, lectures by experts and installations in the foyer of the Philharmonie will explore the topic in greater depth.
Programme & Events
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Main Auditorium
Biennale Opening Concert
Berliner Philharmoniker
Kirill Petrenko conductor
Works by
Olivier Messiaen, Sarah Nemtsov and Paul Hindemith
Olivier Messiaen
Les Offrandes oubliées
Sarah Nemtsov
Antlitz (premiere), commissioned by the Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation, commissioned by Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation, th eLucerne Festival and the Bayerische Staatsoper
Interval
Paul Hindemith
Symphony Mathis der Maler
Also available in the Biennale package
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Main Auditorium
Biennale Opening Concert
Berliner Philharmoniker
Kirill Petrenko conductor
Works by
Olivier Messiaen, Sarah Nemtsov and Paul Hindemith
Olivier Messiaen
Les Offrandes oubliées
Sarah Nemtsov
Antlitz (premiere), commissioned by the Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation, commissioned by Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation, th eLucerne Festival and the Bayerische Staatsoper
Interval
Paul Hindemith
Symphony Mathis der Maler
Also available in the Biennale package
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Main Auditorium
Biennale Opening Concert
Berliner Philharmoniker
Kirill Petrenko conductor
Works by
Olivier Messiaen, Sarah Nemtsov and Paul Hindemith
Olivier Messiaen
Les Offrandes oubliées
Sarah Nemtsov
Antlitz (premiere), commissioned by the Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation, commissioned by Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation, th eLucerne Festival and the Bayerische Staatsoper
Interval
Paul Hindemith
Symphony Mathis der Maler
Also available in the Biennale package
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
St. Matthäus-Kirche
Late Night
Cornelia Gartemann violin
Harry Ward violin
Julia Gartemann viola
Solène Kermarrec cello
Joseph Haydn
The Seven Last Words of Christ (version for string quartet)
Also available in the Biennale package
Main Auditorium
Family Concert: “Mathis der Maler”
Berliner Philharmoniker
Kirill Petrenko conductor and co-presentation
Nelly Danker stage direction
Paul Hindemith
Symphony Mathis der Maler
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Chamber Music Hall
At the invitation of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic
NDR Vokalensemble
Daniel García Trio:
Daniel García piano
Pablo Martín Caminero double bass
Borja Barrueta drums
Adam Bałdych Quintet:
Adam Bałdych violin and renaissance violin
Marek Konarski tenor saxophone
Sebastian Zawadzki piano
Andrzej Święs double bass
Dawid Fortuna drums
Also available in the Biennale package
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Museum of Musical Instruments
Masterclass Messiaen Vokal
Anne Le Bozec
Students of Berlin Academies of Music
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Museum of Musical Instruments
Masterclass Messiaen Vokal
Anne Le Bozec
Students of Berlin Academies of Music
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Chamber Music Hall
Freiburger Barockorchester
Gottfried von der Goltz violin and direction
Works by
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 39 in E flat major, K. 543
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551 “Jupiter”
Ticket sales through the Konzertdirektion Adler
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Museum of Musical Instruments
Masterclass Messiaen Vokal
Anne Le Bozec
Students of Berlin Academies of Music
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Museum of Musical Instruments
Masterclass Messiaen Vokal
Anne Le Bozec
Students of Berlin Academies of Music
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Chamber Music Hall
At the invitation of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Piano recital
Bertrand Chamayou piano
Olivier Messiaen
Vingt regards sur lʼenfant-Jésus
Also available in the Biennale package
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Museum of Musical Instruments
Afternoon of lectures “Heaven in the Ear – Music and Religion”
Friederike Wißmann lecture
Wolfgang Rathert lecture
Dorothee Bauer lecture
Friederike Wißmann
“Children! Create something new! Something new, and yet again something new!” – Wagner’s religion of art as a creation myth
Wolfgang Rathert
“Now it is time for you to appear” – Paul Hindemith’s sacred music between mysticism and apocalypse
Dorothee Bauer
Birdsong, Hindu rhythms, Gregorian melodies: the tone colours of eternity in the music of Olivier Messiaen
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Museum of Musical Instruments
Final concert
Masterclass Messiaen Vokal
Anne Le Bozec
Students of Berlin Academies of Music
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Chamber Music Hall Upper Foyer
Discourse at the Philharmonie
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Main Auditorium
Berliner Philharmoniker
François-Xavier Roth conductor
Véronique Gens soprano (Hélène)
Julien Behr tenor (Faust)
Jean-Sébastien Bou baritone (Méphistophélès)
Works by
Richard Strauss, Hector Berlioz and Lili Boulanger
Richard Strauss
Metamorphosen for 23 solo strings
Hector Berlioz
Roméo et Juliette, op. 17: Roméo seul
Hector Berlioz
Roméo et Juliette, op. 17: La Reine Mab, ou la Fée des Songes
Interval
Lili Boulanger
Faust et Hélène
Véronique Gens soprano, Julien Behr tenor, Jean-Sébastien Bou baritone
Also available in the Biennale package
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Main Auditorium
Berliner Philharmoniker
François-Xavier Roth conductor
Véronique Gens soprano (Hélène)
Julien Behr tenor (Faust)
Jean-Sébastien Bou baritone (Méphistophélès)
Works by
Richard Strauss, Hector Berlioz and Lili Boulanger
Richard Strauss
Metamorphosen for 23 solo strings
Hector Berlioz
Roméo et Juliette, op. 17: Roméo seul
Hector Berlioz
Roméo et Juliette, op. 17: La Reine Mab, ou la Fée des Songes
Interval
Lili Boulanger
Faust et Hélène
Véronique Gens soprano, Julien Behr tenor, Jean-Sébastien Bou baritone
Also available in the Biennale package
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Main Auditorium
Berliner Philharmoniker
François-Xavier Roth conductor
Véronique Gens soprano (Hélène)
Julien Behr tenor (Faust)
Jean-Sébastien Bou baritone (Méphistophélès)
Works by
Richard Strauss, Hector Berlioz and Lili Boulanger
Richard Strauss
Metamorphosen for 23 solo strings
Hector Berlioz
Roméo et Juliette, op. 17: Roméo seul
Hector Berlioz
Roméo et Juliette, op. 17: La Reine Mab, ou la Fée des Songes
Interval
Lili Boulanger
Faust et Hélène
Véronique Gens soprano, Julien Behr tenor, Jean-Sébastien Bou baritone
Also available in the Biennale package
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
St. Matthäus-Kirche
Late Night
Heinali composition and sound art
Andriana-Yaroslava Saienko vocals
Hildegarda. Interpretations of works by Hildegard von Bingen for vocals and modular synthesizer
Also available in the Biennale package
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Main Auditorium
At the invitation of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Organ matinee
Wayne Marshall organ
Brass of the Karajan-Akademie der Berliner Philharmoniker
Works by
Felix Mendelssohn, Marcel Dupré, Sigfrid Karg-Elert, Gaston Litaize and Gustav Mahler
Felix Mendelssohn
Paulus, op. 36: Overture (arr. for brass and organ by Johannes M. Michel)
Marcel Dupré
1. Le Monde dans lʼattente du Sauveur
Sigfrid Karg-Elert
Choralimprovisationen, op. 65: No. 66 “Wunderbarer König” for organ, trumpets, trombones and timpani
Marcel Dupré
Symphonie-Passion for Organ, op. 23: 2nd Movement Nativité
Gaston Litaize
Cortège for organ and brass
Marcel Dupré
Symphonie-Passion for Organ, op. 23: 3rd Movement Crucifixion
Gustav Mahler
Des Knaben Wunderhorn: Urlicht (arr. for brass by Ben Mansted)
Marcel Dupré
Symphonie-Passion for Organ, op. 23: 4th Movement Résurrection
Felix Mendelssohn
Symphony No. 5 in D minor, op. 107 “Reformation”: Introduction, Chorale, Variations and Finale (arr. for brass and organ by Johannes M. Michel)
Also available in the Biennale package
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Main Auditorium
At the invitation of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Harlem Gospel Singers
Also available in the Biennale package
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Chamber Music Hall
At the invitation of the Berliner Philharmoniker
World
Jawa
Also available in the Biennale package
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Otto-Braun-Saal
Reading at the Berlin State Library
Also available in the Biennale package
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Main Auditorium
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin
Vladimir Jurowski conductor
Works by
Bernd Alois Zimmermann and Anton Bruckner
Ticket sales through the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Main Auditorium
Symphoniker Hamburg
Steven Sloane conductor
Azi Schwartz tenor
Eric Owens baritone
The Moran Choirs
Moran Children Choir
Moran Singers
Works by
Felix Mendelssohn and Noam Sheriff
Felix Mendelssohn
Symphony No. 5 in D minor, op. 107 “Reformation”
Noam Sheriff
Mechaye Hametim (Revival of the Dead), Symphony for soli, mixed choir and orchestra
Moran Singers, Azi Schwartz tenor, Eric Owens baritone, The Moran Choirs, Moran Children Choir
Ticket sales through CLSX.de – Partner für Musik gUG
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Main Auditorium
Berliner Philharmoniker
Kirill Petrenko conductor
Golda Schultz soprano
Wiebke Lehmkuhl contralto
Sebastian Kohlhepp tenor
David Steffens bass
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Ludwig van Beethoven
Missa solemnis in D major, op. 123
Also available in the Biennale package
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Main Auditorium
Berliner Philharmoniker
Kirill Petrenko conductor
Golda Schultz soprano
Wiebke Lehmkuhl contralto
Sebastian Kohlhepp tenor
David Steffens bass
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Ludwig van Beethoven
Missa solemnis in D major, op. 123
Also available in the Biennale package
Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Main Auditorium
Berliner Philharmoniker
Kirill Petrenko conductor
Golda Schultz soprano
Wiebke Lehmkuhl contralto
Sebastian Kohlhepp tenor
David Steffens bass
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Ludwig van Beethoven
Missa solemnis in D major, op. 123
Also available in the Biennale package
Background & Stories
What does nature sound like in music?
Whether raging storms, shimmering waves, or gentle raindrops – for centuries, composers have drawn inspiration from nature. But how can the sounds of nature be brought to life in an orchestra?
Nature and music
Composers of all ages have been inspired by nature to write magnificent works: only their aesthetic outlook and their individual approach have changed with the passage of time. Here is a brief survey of this subject
“Is what we’re doing enough?”
Marin Alsop, making her debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker, will present four depictions of nature from four different continents at the Biennale “Paradise lost?”.
From the far north to the wider world
The Finnish musician Dalia Stasevska is one of the most promising members of the younger generation of female conductors.
Antje Boetius in conversation
Marine biologist Antje Boetius will join a discussion at the Philharmonie as part of this year’s Biennale, “Paradise Lost?”. In our interview, she talks about the role that climate change will continue to play in society, and whether we will ever truly learn to see the ocean as a gigantic habitat.
The idyll in music
In music and art, the idyll symbolizes a better world, idealistic and yet fragile. Find out here how the idyll came into the music and what purpose it serves.
“I walked in the forest and come back with a song”
On the occasion of the premiere of her new piece “Day Night Day” Outi Tarkiainen talks about why she became a composer and how nature informs her music.