New season opens on 3 September - Elbphilharmonie Hamburg to continue its success story: with a varied programme and world-class music performances

Hamburg, 1 September 2017 – This weekend marks the opening of the Elbphiharmonie’s first regular season. Cosmopolitan and full of contrast, Hamburg's new concert hall will be backing its claim to be a house for everyone. In the 2017/2018 season, music lovers from across the globe will be able to enjoy a packed programme, with more than 600 top-class concerts taking place on the premises of this new cultural flagship in Northern Germany. The Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg’s new landmark, is thus all set to continue its amazing success story. Since the Elbphlilharmonie’s grand opening in January 2017, more than 500,000 people have experienced a concert in the new house on the River Elbe. With more than 3 million visitors to the Plaza, the concert hall’s public viewing platform, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg is now among Germany’s most popular tourist attractions.

In Hamburg, the start of the Elbphilharmonie’s new season is being met with excitement. Every night since 27 August, hundreds of music lovers have been gathering at the Elbphilharmonie to enjoy a special music experience even before the official start of the season on Sunday: as part of the Elbphilharmonie’s Concert Cinema programme, selected live events are being shown on a large open-air screen at the square in front of the Elbphilharmonie. With these free of charge live streamings from the Grand Hall, the Elbphilharmonie is inviting Hamburg’s locals and guests to experience sold-out concerts free of charge. Tonight’s concert will be performed by the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, the Elbphilharmonie’s residence orchestra: a programme with works by Ludwig van Beethoven will conclude this summer’s public screenings and ring in the new season.

World-class music performances, with more than 600 concerts: Elbphilharmonie Hamburg kicks off the new season

Ever since its official opening, the Elbphilharmonie has put Hamburg’s music world in a state of emergency – with exceptional quality, diversity and courage. Now Hamburg’s new concert hall is starting its first regular season. The programme for the 2017/18 season will be once again packed with highlights – ensuring continuity at the highest level, while at the same time developing individual artistic and dramaturgical approaches. This Sunday’s, 3 September 2017, opening concert alone is going to be extraordinary, as Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker will be presenting Johann Sebastian Bach’s Six Cello Suites as a music and dance performance – together with her Rosas dance company and French cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras. And yet the opening concert is but a foretaste of the Elbphilharmonie’s highly diverse perspective on culture that is reflected in its entire programme: until June next year, 600 concerts from the realms of classical music, jazz, electronic music, world music and pop will be performed here – with more than 20 top-class orchestras and outstanding soloists from around the world.

The new programme will include guest performances by world-renowned orchestras from cities such as Cleveland, Philadelphia, Montreal, London, Amsterdam, Rome, and Saint Petersburg – alongside selected pop highlights such as The National. Themed festivals such as “Czech it out!”, “Caucasus” and “Winter Journeys” will be flanked by musical portraits of e.g. Peter Eötvös, Daniil Trifonov, Bryce Dessner and Yaron Herman. The highlight of the season will be the 3rd Hamburg International Music Festival from 27 April to 29 May 2018, a collaboration between major music venues and concert organisers in Hamburg.

Some 850,000 tickets will be issued for the Elbphilharmonie’s 2017/18 season. Most of the concerts have already been sold out. However, additional concerts will be added throughout the season, which will increase the number of fresh tickets available.

Success in figures: More than 3 million visitors to the Plaza, 500,000 concert guests, and a 5 percent rise in overnight stays in Hamburg

The wave of enthusiasm for Hamburg's new landmark on the Elbe is unbroken, and the figures speak for themselves: since its opening in November 2016, more than 3 million people have visited the Elbphilharmonie’s Plaza to enjoy the stunning view over the city and the port from a height of 37 metres. Since its festive opening on 11 and 12 January 2017, some 500,000 music lovers have filled the new concert hall with life. And this success story also reflects Hamburg’s tourism development at large: with 6.5 million overnight stays, Hamburg Tourismus GmbH recorded an increase of 5 percent in the first half of 2017 compared with the same period last year – and even a 9 percent increase in overnight stays by international guests. The most recent statistics confirm the positive effects of Hamburg’s new landmark on the city’s appeal and its international visibility: with the Elbphilharmonie at the forefront, Hamburg continues its successful journey towards becoming a top-class destination and one of the world’s premium music locations.

The Elbphilharmonie is firmly anchored in Hamburg: European XFEL, Hamburg Cruise Days, and the Reeperbahn Festival

In its role as Hamburg’s new landmark, the Elbphilharmonie is an integral part of the city’s urban life. Several major events are lined up for September alone: today will see the launch of the European XFEL – the world’s largest X-ray laser facility. To welcome the new facility, there is currently a laser beam from the Elbphilharmonie to the XFEL’s location in the district of Schenefeld. During the 2017 Blueport Hamburg (1–10 September), the façade of the Elbphilharmonie will be bathed in blue light, and visitors to the Hamburg Cruise Days festival (08–10 September) will be able to experience the Elbphilharmonie as part of a themed island that will include free public screenings under the open sky. Whether it is the Harbour Front literature festival, the Elbjazz Festival or the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival: especially when it comes to cultural events, the Elbphilharmonie has become a central point of reference. And also at the upcoming Reeperbahn Festival (20–23 September), the Elbphilharmonie will be the festival’s most sought-after music venue. Innovative and courageous, versatile and classic: the Elbphilharmonie has established itself as the new landmark of Hamburg – a city that is shaping its future based on contrast.

To learn more about the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and to view the full programme for the 2017/18 season, please visit www.elbphilharmonie.com.

Further information on the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg:

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Media Service

Attached pictures are royality free for editorial use, photo credit: Hamburg’s new landmark, the Elbphilharmonie, opens its first regular concert season on September 3, 2017. Foto: Thies Rätzke

Press section of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg’s website including photos for media use at www.elbphilharmonie.de/en/press.

Further information, stories and tips on Hamburg by the Media Service of Hamburg Marketing GmbH at www.mediarelations.hamburg.de.

Photos and footage of Hamburg for media use at www.mediaserver.hamburg.de.

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