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Few have combined jazz and classical music as skillfully as the American composer George Gershwin. The year after the triumph of the free-form Rhapsody in Blue for solo piano and orchestra in 1924, he began a classically designed piano concerto in three movements. The jazz elements are unmistakable from the opening bars with explosive drum beats, and the concerto also contains clear elements of Charleston, blues and ragtime. The piano part is virtuoso and drives the piece rhythmically forward, while the orchestra acts as both support and counterpoint. George Gershwin himself was the soloist at the premiere in 1925, and the work has since become one of the most played and appreciated piano concertos in the American repertoire. The piano concerto has also left its mark on both popular culture and sports. In the 1951 musical film An American in Paris, a pianist dreams of playing all the instruments in the work at a gala, and South Korean figure skater Yuna Kim won an Olympic gold medal to the music in 2010.

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.

Few have combined jazz and classical music as skillfully as the American composer George Gershwin. The year after the triumph of the free-form Rhapsody in Blue for solo piano and orchestra in 1924, he began a classically designed piano concerto in three movements. The jazz elements are unmistakable from the opening bars with explosive drum beats, and the concerto also contains clear elements of Charleston, blues and ragtime. The piano part is virtuoso and drives the piece rhythmically forward, while the orchestra acts as both support and counterpoint. George Gershwin himself was the soloist at the premiere in 1925, and the work has since become one of the most played and appreciated piano concertos in the American repertoire. The piano concerto has also left its mark on both popular culture and sports. In the 1951 musical film An American in Paris, a pianist dreams of playing all the instruments in the work at a gala, and South Korean figure skater Yuna Kim won an Olympic gold medal to the music in 2010.

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.

Few have combined jazz and classical music as skillfully as the American composer George Gershwin. The year after the triumph of the free-form Rhapsody in Blue for solo piano and orchestra in 1924, he began a classically designed piano concerto in three movements. The jazz elements are unmistakable from the opening bars with explosive drum beats, and the concerto also contains clear elements of Charleston, blues and ragtime. The piano part is virtuoso and drives the piece rhythmically forward, while the orchestra acts as both support and counterpoint. George Gershwin himself was the soloist at the premiere in 1925, and the work has since become one of the most played and appreciated piano concertos in the American repertoire. The piano concerto has also left its mark on both popular culture and sports. In the 1951 musical film An American in Paris, a pianist dreams of playing all the instruments in the work at a gala, and South Korean figure skater Yuna Kim won an Olympic gold medal to the music in 2010.

Not all composers write their most famous works when they are 19 years old. One who did was George Enescu with his two Romanian Rhapsodies from 1901. They accompanied him throughout his life. In his later years, he is said to have lamented how they overshadowed his other music. Enescu came from Romania and was a bit of a master at everything he did. It has been said of his memory that he could recreate all of Beethoven's works if they were lost. He picked up the term rhapsody from Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies. It is a title that signals spontaneity, improvisation and movement. But also that different parts have been joined together. In the rhapsodies, Enescu portrayed a romantic image of his homeland. The first begins with the folk song “Am un leu” which is said to have been the first Enescu learned at the age of 4. After the calm introduction, the piece bursts into lively dances. The piece depicts peasants stamping and hooting at an increasingly fast pace. It is an exotic dream image of a world that may have been – but is no longer.

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.

Few have combined jazz and classical music as skillfully as the American composer George Gershwin. The year after the triumph of the free-form Rhapsody in Blue for solo piano and orchestra in 1924, he began a classically designed piano concerto in three movements. The jazz elements are unmistakable from the opening bars with explosive drum beats, and the concerto also contains clear elements of Charleston, blues and ragtime. The piano part is virtuoso and drives the piece rhythmically forward, while the orchestra acts as both support and counterpoint. George Gershwin himself was the soloist at the premiere in 1925, and the work has since become one of the most played and appreciated piano concertos in the American repertoire. The piano concerto has also left its mark on both popular culture and sports. In the 1951 musical film An American in Paris, a pianist dreams of playing all the instruments in the work at a gala, and South Korean figure skater Yuna Kim won an Olympic gold medal to the music in 2010.

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.

Few have combined jazz and classical music as skillfully as the American composer George Gershwin. The year after the triumph of the free-form Rhapsody in Blue for solo piano and orchestra in 1924, he began a classically designed piano concerto in three movements. The jazz elements are unmistakable from the opening bars with explosive drum beats, and the concerto also contains clear elements of Charleston, blues and ragtime. The piano part is virtuoso and drives the piece rhythmically forward, while the orchestra acts as both support and counterpoint. George Gershwin himself was the soloist at the premiere in 1925, and the work has since become one of the most played and appreciated piano concertos in the American repertoire. The piano concerto has also left its mark on both popular culture and sports. In the 1951 musical film An American in Paris, a pianist dreams of playing all the instruments in the work at a gala, and South Korean figure skater Yuna Kim won an Olympic gold medal to the music in 2010.

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.

Few have combined jazz and classical music as skillfully as the American composer George Gershwin. The year after the triumph of the free-form Rhapsody in Blue for solo piano and orchestra in 1924, he began a classically designed piano concerto in three movements. The jazz elements are unmistakable from the opening bars with explosive drum beats, and the concerto also contains clear elements of Charleston, blues and ragtime. The piano part is virtuoso and drives the piece rhythmically forward, while the orchestra acts as both support and counterpoint. George Gershwin himself was the soloist at the premiere in 1925, and the work has since become one of the most played and appreciated piano concertos in the American repertoire. The piano concerto has also left its mark on both popular culture and sports. In the 1951 musical film An American in Paris, a pianist dreams of playing all the instruments in the work at a gala, and South Korean figure skater Yuna Kim won an Olympic gold medal to the music in 2010.

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.