Principal trumpeter Peter Dörpinghaus is looking forward to the Christmas concert that our brass players and percussionists from Konzerthaus Brass Berlin will be playing on December 10.

"Brass instruments are as much a part of the Christmas season as candles, Advent wreaths and baking cookies. But we don't just want to play the '20 most beautiful Christmas carols', although we do have some of them in our program - the audience can even sing along.

What we like best, however, is to create a thematic arc that fits in with the season. This year, 'Brass Enlightenment' is about light. So not only about brightening up the dark season with candles, stars and anticipation, but also about enlightenment in the sense of enlightening what brass instruments can play: Festive and traditional, but also quiet and unexpected pieces. This ranges from 1000-year-old compositions to swing arrangements such as 'Fly me to the Moon' to the Icelander Björk, who wrote a brass overture for her film 'Dancer in the Dark' - and a world premiere with a light organ.“

Doorman Ralf Wartenberg at the stage entrance knows everyone and everyone knows him: "No one just walks by, everyone says hello and if there is a little time, we talk. He likes dealing with people, Ralf tells us: "The Konzerthaus is like a home." He is especially looking forward to December 12 and the return of the piano duo Lucas and Arthur Jussen with a  Piano Concert by Fazıl Say. They have already been Artists in Residence with us. Not only are they great musicians, says Ralf: "The brothers are so likeable, and besides, I could practise my Dutch a bit with them!"

Our social media manager Eleonora Gelmetti has a tip for December 13:

"I'm looking forward to the solo recital by our Artist in Residence Augustin Hadelich, because I think it's going to be a very intense journey: A single person who captivates the whole audience! It's a bit like a monologue evening on the theatre stage. 
I have listened to Augustin as a soloist with our orchestra at the Musikfest in the Philharmonie. He played Donnacha Dennehy's violin concerto and that really touched me. I also met him when we were filming video clips. His parents are from Germany, but he grew up in Italy and now lives in New York. He said that at some point you no longer really know where you belong, but that home for him is the scent of olive trees. I also come from Italy and feel the same way!"
I was impressed by how seriously Augustin spoke about the fact that the notes on the instrument are a lifelong project for a violinist - even if you play as fantastically as he does, you are still searching.

A tip of Tara Hansen-Laubscher from the program department, who is responsible for artistic production planning there:

"I am a total Bruckner fan. His symphonies, which I played along to as a pupil and student on the oboe, just make my heart beat faster. And that includes No. 7: sitting in the middle of this great orchestral apparatus with the Wagner tubas on one side and the violas on the other - it's an experience you never forget. You know the harmonies so well, you know all the 'passages' and simply hear the work with particular intensity. The concerts from December 14 to 16, in which the Konzerthausorchester plays Bruckner's Seventh with Christoph Eschenbach, I would of course also like to recommend to anyone who is not familiar with it from their own musical experience, because it is definitely wonderful music."

Our principal oboist Michaela Kuntz is particularly looking forward to the Sunday chamber music matinee with her principal oboe colleague Szilvia Pápai, concertmaster Sayako Kusaka, principal cellist Friedemann Ludwig and harpsichordist Christine Kessler on December 17.

"I really enjoy playing chamber music and I like matinee concerts because you can feel the freshness and concentration of the new day. Our baroque programme of shorter works fits very well into the pre-Christmas period. Two pieces by Georg Phillip Telemann and Johann Christian Bach actually feature a transverse flute alongside the oboe, violin, cello and harpsichord. As we two solo oboists are performing together at this concert, we quickly replaced the transverse flute with an oboe - may the flutes forgive us (laughs)!

Each of us will also be playing a solo piece. Mine is "Les folies d'Espagne" by Marin Marais. It's based on a dance from the 16th century, which was repeatedly banned at the time because of its excessively exuberant character. The Italian word "folia" means foolishness or folly. In the 17th century, it was a popular fashion to write variations on this theme with its typical harmonic sequence. These variations, called couplets, increase in expression and difficulty due to their different characters. I play 21 of the very short 32 couplets, so there's no chance of boredom with our colourful matinee programme - which is also important for families with children when they come to the concert."