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Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849) Piano Concerto No. 1 Allegro maestoso Romanze - Largetto Rondo – Vivace Chopin's piano concerto in E minor was published in 1833, and "the second" in F minor in 1836 (although he had already composed it at age 19). Both reflect his fondness for Bellini's operas, especially Norma, whose ornaments he adapted and personified. The main theme is introduced by the orchestra at considerable length, adding to the tension. Once the piano enters, glowing lyrical ornaments follow. Chopin was sometimes criticized for focusing more on the strength of the piano than on the qualities of the orchestra, but this probably contributed to his success with audiences. The second movement is slow and caressing. Chopin wrote under the composition: "I am using muted strings - I wonder how they will sound?" He described the largetto as having "a romantic, calm and rather melancholic character ... a kind of moonlight dream on a beautiful spring night." The main theme of the rondo in E major has been likened to a polka or krakowiac (also a dance). Chopin modulates to A major, and before the refreshing final clip, he moves into E flat, then B flat in the section's return. The Piano Concerto in E minor was first performed in Warsaw in 1830 with Chopin as soloist, shortly before he left his homeland for Paris and never returned.

Peter Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Symphony No. 6 Pathetique Op 74 Adagio;Allegro non troppo - Allegro con grazia - Allegro molto vivace - Finale:Adagio lamentoso Few symphonies contain as many outbursts of emotion and sudden mood swings as Tchaikovsky's Sixth, with the telling title Pathétique ("passionate suffering"). It reflects his manic-depressive personality, he suffered throughout his life from crises and often struggled with illness and depression. Tchaikovsky's death in Saint Petersburg, just nine days after he conducted the premiere, also gave the work a tragic aura right from the start. It was even said that the music deliberately foreshadowed his own death, which occurred after he drank cholera-tainted water. Even today, musicologists disagree whether it was an accident or a forced suicide, to avoid public scandal as a homosexual. Is the sixth symphony really a self-composed requiem? This theory is fueled by the "dark" key of B minor, which stands for great passion and tragedy, and by the unusual structure. The main motif that runs throughout the work consists of a plaintive, descending second interval. The gloomy character of the symphony is clear already in the first movement, with its slow, dark introduction. The second movement is reminiscent of Don José's flower aria from Bizet's opera Carmen, which Tchaikovsky greatly admired. Towards the end of the movement there is a chorale-like funeral march, and even a quote from the Russian Orthodox funeral liturgy. The second movement provides some lightening, and Tchaikovsky wrote it in an elegant 5/4 time signature, which is a fairly common time signature in Russian folk music. The "limping" character makes the movement almost humorous, despite the loving waltz or minuet-like style. In the third movement he returns to the march as idea, but it begins as an cheerful scherzo that gradually unfolds in its full life-affirming power. The fourth movement is the most famous in the symphony, and is partly reminiscent of a mournful requiem. The main theme is characterized by sighing motifs, and at the end the music fades into a low string chord in B minor. Tchaikovsky considered the symphony to be his most important, most personal composition, but the premiere was received cautiously.

The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025. Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra. In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region. The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.

Santtu-Matias Rouvali was Chief Conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony in the years 2017-2025. Since 2021, he is Chief conductor of Philharmonia Orchestra and also honorary conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra back home in Finland. He collaborates with top-level orchestras and soloists across Europe, including the Münchner Philharmoniker, Berliner Philharmoniker, Orchester Philharmonique de Radio France, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich. He also works with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. International soloists with whom Rouvali plays are Bruce Liu, Lisa Batiashvili, Seong-Jin Cho, Nicola Benedetti, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Nemanja Radulovic, Stephen Hough, Augustin Hadelich, Nikolai Lugansky, Christian Tetzlaff, Gil Shaham, Baiba Skride, Ava Bahari and Arabella Steinbacher. During his long tenure with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Rouvali performed over 100 concerts in the Great Hall and made over 30 recordings and live concerts for the digital concert hall GSOplay. His collaboration with the orchestra included successful tours in the Nordic countries, Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as a five-volume Sibelius recording with the Alpha Classics label. The releases have been acclaimed with awards such as the Gramophone Editor's Choice award, Choc de Classica, the prestigious French Diapason d'Or 'Découverte', and the Radio Classiques 'TROPHÉE'. Santtu-Matias Rouvali also has an extensive record label with Philharmonia Records.

Seong-Jin Cho gained attention in 2015 when he won the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw. In 2016 he signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon and in 2023 he was awarded the prestigious Samsung Ho-Am Prize in the Arts. Cho collaborates with the world's leading orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Orchester de Paris, the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra. He works with conductors such as Myung-Whun Chung, Gustavo Dudamel, Andris Nelsons, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Gianandrea Noseda, Sir Simon Rattle, Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Lahav Shani. In the 2024/25 season Seong-Jin Cho takes up the mantle of Artist in Residence with the Berliner Philharmoniker. He notably returns to London’s BBC Proms, to the Philadelphia Orchestra to open their season with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, to New York Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Santtu-Matias Rouvali, and to The Cleveland Orchestra under Franz Welser-Möst. Cho embarks on several international tours, including his notable return to Wiener Philharmoniker with Andris Nelsons in Korea and to Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks with Sir Simon Rattle in Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, following a performance of Brahms Piano Concerto. No. 2 in Munich. Born in 1994 in Seoul, Seong-Jin Cho gave his first public solo concert aged 11. In 2009, he became the youngest ever winner of Japan's Hamamatsu International Piano Competition. Seong-Jin Cho is now based in Berlin. He visited Sweden in the spring of 2024 and performed with the Swedish Royal Philharmonic at a guest concert in Gothenburg.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1902 and Stockholm Concert Hall has been the orchestra's home since 1926. Chief conductor since 2023 is award-winning American Ryan Bancroft. Among the guest conductors are greats such as Riccardo Muti, Andris Nelsons, Herbert Blomstedt, Nathalie Stutzmann, Gianandrea Noseda and honorary conductors Sakari Oramo and Alan Gilbert. Sakari Oramo was the orchestra's chief conductor in the years 2008–2021. Together, over the years, they gained a lot of attention for both recordings and international tours. The German daily Die Welt described the Royal Philharmonic as "one of the world's best orchestras". The Royal Philharmonic has received a lot of attention for its recordings. Among these can be mentioned Carl Nielsen's six symphonies on three CDs (BIS), which were praised by critics worldwide and the CD with symphonies no. 1 and 3 was awarded the BBC Music Magazine Award for best classical orchestral production. Two CDs with recordings of Anders Hillborg's music have both been awarded Grammis, and they have also released a CD with the American star soprano Renée Fleming. The recording of Nielsen's and Sibelius' violin concertos together with Johan Dalene was awarded a Grammis in 2023.

Ryan Bancroft is Chief Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic's since 2023. He grew up in Los Angeles and gained international attention in 2018 when he won the prestigious Malko Competition for Young Conductors. In 2025, Ryan Bancroft and the Royal Swedish Philharmonic made their very first joint European tour. Bancroft has played with a number of leading European and American orchestras, such as the Philharmonia, Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Rai Orchestra in Turin, City of Birmingham Symphony and San Francisco Symphony. He has conducted all major Swedish orchestras, including the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra and Gothenburg Symphony. With the Royal Swedish Philharmonic, he has premiered a symphony by Daniel Börtz, and was responsible for the European premiere of Anders Hillborg's The MAX Concerto.

Seong-Jin Cho gained attention in 2015 when he won the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw. In 2016 he signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon and in 2023 he was awarded the prestigious Samsung Ho-Am Prize in the Arts. Cho collaborates with the world's leading orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Orchester de Paris, the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra. He works with conductors such as Myung-Whun Chung, Gustavo Dudamel, Andris Nelsons, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Gianandrea Noseda, Sir Simon Rattle, Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Lahav Shani. In the 2024/25 season Seong-Jin Cho takes up the mantle of Artist in Residence with the Berliner Philharmoniker. He notably returns to London’s BBC Proms, to the Philadelphia Orchestra to open their season with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, to New York Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Santtu-Matias Rouvali, and to The Cleveland Orchestra under Franz Welser-Möst. Cho embarks on several international tours, including his notable return to Wiener Philharmoniker with Andris Nelsons in Korea and to Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks with Sir Simon Rattle in Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, following a performance of Brahms Piano Concerto. No. 2 in Munich. Born in 1994 in Seoul, Seong-Jin Cho gave his first public solo concert aged 11. In 2009, he became the youngest ever winner of Japan's Hamamatsu International Piano Competition. Seong-Jin Cho is now based in Berlin. He visited Sweden in the spring of 2024 and performed with the Swedish Royal Philharmonic at a guest concert in Gothenburg.