2025 Cologne Symphony Orchestra Shenzhen Concert

One of the most outstanding symphony orchestras in Europe. Resident orchestra of Cologne Chamber Opera House in Germany. Fixed cooperation […]

One of the most outstanding symphony orchestras in Europe. Resident orchestra of Cologne Chamber Opera House in Germany. Fixed cooperation team of top European singers, directors and TV programs. At the end of 2024, famous symphonic masterpieces from China and abroad are brought to China. The notes of polka gracefully jump to the fairy tale kingdom of the Soviet Union, and then enter famous domestic symphonic works. The New Year Concert of Cologne Symphony Orchestra will be staged in Shenzhen with great shock, presenting the most magnificent New Year’s memory to the audience. Cologne Symphony Orchestra was established in the 1990s. With its excellent performance level and extensive repertoire, it quickly emerged and became a popular orchestra in Germany and even in Europe, and also became the resident performance orchestra of Cologne Chamber Opera House. In the upcoming concert, Esther Hilsberg-Schaarmann, a leading female conductor in Europe, will bring Cologne Symphony Orchestra to present an unparalleled New Year’s symphony feast for the audience. The performance works include polka works by Johann Strauss II, which are widely popular among domestic audiences, fairy tale ballet music created by Tchaikovsky, excerpts from Mozart’s opera music, and classic tracks such as “Ode to the Red Flag” created by well-known Chinese composers. The performance will highlight diverse repertoire arrangements, superb playing skills and vivid musical expressiveness, bringing a grand musical journey from classical to modern, from elegant to passionate, and from west to east to the audience, drawing the most unforgettable full stop for 2024.

Performance tracks:

1. “Die Fledermaus Overture” by Johann Strauss II

2. “The Magic Flute Overture” by Wolfgang Mozart

3. “Serenade No. 1 in D Major, K. 100: I. Allegro” by Wolfgang Mozart

4. “Overture to The Abduction from the Seraglio” by Wolfgang Mozart

5. “Good News from Beijing Reaches the Border Villages” by Zheng Lu and Ma Hongye

Pizzicato Polka by Johann Strauss II

Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Johannes Brahms

Overture to William Tell by Rossini

——Intermission——

The Red Flag Song by Lv Qi Ming

Salut d’Amour, Op. 12 by Edward Elgar

The Typewriter by Leroy Anderson

Selections from The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a by Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka, Op. 214 by Johann Strauss II

Méditation from Thaïs by Massenet

Petersburger Schlittenfahrt (Sleigh Ride in St. Petersburg), Op. 55 by Richard Eilenberg

Sabre Dance from Gayane by Aram Khachaturian

*The final program and order are subject to change on the day of the performance*

Performance Group: German Cologne Symphony Orchestra (Kölner Symphoniker)

Over the past 30 years, the German Cologne Symphony Orchestra has performed in dozens of famous concert halls and theaters across Europe, including Vienna Musikverein, Berlin Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Frankfurt Opera House, Stuttgart Liederhalle, Hanover State Opera, Bremen Theatre, and more.

At the same time, they are also invited to perform at various art festivals, including the Salzburg Festival, Luxembourg Forest Festival, Hungarian Kodály Art Festival, Baden-Baden Festival in Germany, Slovak Beethoven Festival and so on.

In 2014, the orchestra composed music for the film ‘Worst Case Scenario’ by German director Bernd Schaarmann and received unanimous praise from industry insiders. Later, the orchestra was invited to participate in large-scale TV gala programs many times. Since 2016, the Cologne Symphony Orchestra has been the cooperative orchestra of German national treasure female singer Helen Fischer’s Christmas show every year. In addition, the orchestra is also the live performance orchestra of the famous TV program ‘Super Brain’. This series of performances has enabled the orchestra to smoothly cross from the classical field to the popular field.

Not only that, the Cologne Chamber Opera House established on the basis of the German Cologne Symphony Orchestra is also attracting increasing attention from industry insiders. In the past two years, the orchestra’s series of popular and light concerts at the opera house, including the original soundtrack concert of ‘Gone with the Wind’, Johann Strauss concert, ten classic film concerts, operas ‘Don Giovanni’, ‘La Traviata’, ‘The Merry Widow’, musical ‘My Fair Lady’ and other concerts, have been widely praised by German music fans. Among them, the performance of the ‘My Fair Lady’ concert has exceeded more than 140 times.

Conductor Esther Hilsberg-Schaarmann

Esther Hilsberg-Schaarmann is one of the most well-known female conductors in Europe. She also has extremely high attainments in various aspects such as piano, violin, singing, and composition. She graduated from the Cologne Conservatory of Music and obtained the highest honor degree in vocal music. Later, she studied conducting with Professor Luig. She is the winner of the Passau International Vocal Music Award and has received the German Advanced Artist Award.

She is also active in the European music scene as a composer, especially in the field of musicals and choral symphonies. Various children’s operas she participated in, such as ‘Max and Moritz’, ‘Chinese Nightingale’, ‘The Snow Queen’, ‘The Nutcracker’, etc., are regularly staged at the Coburg Theater in Germany, the Halberstadt Theater, the Scottish Theater and the Scottish Theater. Esther also crosses over into film music creation. In 2015, she created the original soundtrack for Bernd Schaarmann’s feature film ‘Nice places to die’.

Since 2022, she has focused more on conducting. As a conductor, she has carried out a large-scale tour with the musical ‘My Expo’ all over Germany and performed at the Potsdamer Platz Theater in Berlin, the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, the Cologne Concert Hall, the Bremen Music Theater and other places.
During the 2023/2024 season, she collaborated with the Cologne Symphony Orchestra on the operetta ‘Ball im Savoy’ at the Cologne Opera House, serving as conductor and musical director. In addition to this, she has also toured in countries such as South Korea, Japan, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Esther is a frequent guest at major German festivals and opera houses, including the Baden-Baden Festival, the Rhine-Dusseldorf German Opera, the Bonn Opera House, and others.

Concertmaster Violinist Fabian Wettstein

Fabian Wettstein was born in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and studied at the University of Music in Freiburg, Germany, under Professor Rainer-Kussmaul. He later studied abroad at Indiana University in the United States under Professor Miriam Fried, and attended the New England Conservatory in Boston. Between 1988 and 1999, he frequently won awards at the German ‘Jugend Musiziert’. In 1995, he won first place in the Erste Bundespreise national cup for his quartet performance. In 1996, he received the ‘Concertino Praga’ grand prize. He won the string and piano quintet prize in 1996 and 1997, the solo award in 1998, and the duo prize in 1999. His outstanding solo and ensemble performances have been supported by the Jürgen-Ponto-Stiftung, the Jürgen-Friedrich-Sellheim-Stiftung, the Stiftung Musikleben, and the ‘Villa Musica’ promotion. His first performance as a concertmaster was with the Baden-Württemberg Youth Symphony Orchestra and the National Youth Symphony Orchestra in Germany.

Key Performance Analysis

1. ‘The Magic Flute Overture’ by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The ‘Magic Flute Overture’ by Mozart is a work imbued with magical colors and symbols of light. As the prelude to the opera ‘The Magic Flute’, this overture combines Mozart’s unique lightness and solemnity. The overture begins with a majestic chord progression, followed by a lively and bright main theme.
1. The three-part motive that appears repeatedly in the work symbolizes enlightenment and mystery, and delicately expresses the theme of the opera. The lively rhythm and vivid tone of the music make this overture full of drama and musical vitality.

2. ‘Pizzicato Polka’ by Johann Strauss II. Polka and waltz music that cannot be missed at the New Year’s concert is famous for its brisk rhythm and unique pizzicato technique. This polka features the pizzicato technique of string instruments as its main characteristic, creating a light and playful musical atmosphere. The music structure is compact, the melody is cheerful and bright, and it is full of the charm of Viennese dances. Strauss cleverly uses timbre contrast, making the whole work full of lively rhythm and dynamic rhythm, becoming a pearl in the classic polka repertoire.

3. ‘Hungarian Dance No. 5′ by Johannes Brahms. Brahms’ ‘Hungarian Dance No. 5’ is a work full of exotic flavors, showing the vitality and passion of Hungarian folk music. The work is known for its cheerful rhythm, distinct danceability, and strong dynamic contrast. The beginning has a rapid rhythm and a bright melody, full of unrestrained emotions; the middle section is slightly softer but still full of dynamics. Brahms vividly and powerfully interprets this dance through rich harmonic changes and delicate rhythm processing, making it an evergreen piece in symphony concerts.

4. ‘The Nutcracker Suite’ by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Nutcracker Suite’ is a collection of music selected based on his ballet ‘The Nutcracker’, full of fairytale colors and dreamy musical expressiveness. Each segment in the suite depicts different scenes and characters. Tchaikovsky brings the audience into a world full of fantasy and mystery through rich orchestration and beautiful melodies. The color changes and emotional expressions of the music are unparalleled.

5. ‘Ode to the Red Flag’ by Lü Qiming. Lü Qiming’s ‘Ode to the Red Flag’ is a symphonic work with strong patriotic emotions, showing its majestic and magnificent musical style. The work begins with a sonorous and powerful theme, symbolizing the fluttering of the red flag and the inheritance of the revolutionary spirit. The music is full of majestic momentum and exciting melodies. Through the grand orchestration of the orchestra, it expresses deep affection for the motherland and expectations for the future. The soft melody in the middle section forms a sharp contrast with the exciting climax, making the whole piece not only full of deep expression but also full of the power to strive forward. It is a deeply moving musical work.

The full text is open on Saturday, December 28. The performance starts at 19:30. The specific performance duration is subject to the site.