Göteborgs Konserthus A spring celebration with jazz

We are going big with a festive spring concert featuring the timeless notes of Duke Ellington and George Gershwin in music that came to define jazz. Don’t miss out as chief conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali leads our Big Band to celebrate the end of the season.  

It began with an elegy to Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Then the deeply faithful duke of jazz – Duke Ellington – extended the piece into an entire suite. First we hear the story of two biblical kings, Balthazar and Solomon, and in the last movement, the myth transitions into history in a section about Dr King, human rights champion. Dreamy, swinging jazz and soaring gospel.   

George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue from 1924 was regarded as a musical experiment that combined classical music and jazz. Within a few decades, the piece came to define the jazz era. From the page, straight to the heart.  

After the intermission, we hear Duke Ellington’s symphony, beginning with the essential trumpet solo that intones the title: Harlem. But first, it is time to rise from your seat and dance to the swinging big band when Rouvali picks up a trumpet and is surrounded by the entire orchestra for a hearty “thank you – and see you soon”!  

Listen

Get to know the music.

Introduction to the concert

Take a seat in the Great Hall one hour before the concert begins and learn more about the music you will soon experience! You will get the stories behind the music, knowledge of the composers and own reflections about the classical pieces. The introduction last for about 30 minutes, it is free and free seating in the hall. Welcome!