Joana Mallwitz, the new principal conductor of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin.
© dpa
As one of the capital's three major ensembles, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin is about to make a new start.
The 36-year-old Joana Mallwitz will lead the artistic fortunes as principal conductor during the coming season. There will be two new formats at the concert hall on Gendarmenmarkt in the heart of Berlin. Mallwitz has already developed a format of expert concerts at her venues in Erfurt and Nuremberg. She will first perform excerpts on the grand piano, with explanations, and then with the entire orchestra. The program will include works by Stravinsky, Mendelssohn and Beethoven.
In addition, there will be "Night Sessions" that Mallwitz and her team have developed especially for the Konzerthaus. At these sessions, the conductor and orchestra plan to combine lesser-known music into an aclectic mix - up to and including the Beatles. "Good music is good music, no matter what time or style it comes from," Mallwitz said. Over several days in November, the new conductor plans to present herself to audiences with her program titled "Mostly Mallwitz". The house will place a focus on early works by Kurt Weill (1900-1950). Mallwitz will also record his two symphonies, which are rarely performed in comparison to his stage works, with the Konzerthaus orchestra as part of her new contract with Deutsche Grammophon.