Summer is coming, and Berlin's most beautiful open-air living room will once again become a concert hall! To kick off
Classic Open Air 2026, you can experience the Konzerthausorchester Berlin and principal conductor Joana Mallwitz on July 9 on the festival stage in front of the Freitreppe.
Ever since her acclaimed debut at the 2020 Salzburg Festival with Mozart's “Cosi fan tutte,” Joana Mallwitz has been considered one of the most outstanding conductors.
Let George Gershwin's symphonic works transport you from the heart of Berlin to two other metropolises of the 1920s: “An American in Paris” follows a compatriot of the composer through the French capital, which is bursting with the jazz-infused energy of the Roaring Twenties. And his world-famous Rhapsody in Blue for piano and orchestra (soloist: Hayato Sumino) is a stirring portrait of his hometown New York as the vibrant melting pot of the era.
The young Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino thrills audiences worldwide with his technical brilliance and lively stage presence. His playing combines classical virtuosity, innovative spirit, and artistic freedom. The award-winning pianist has performed in major concert halls in North America, Europe, and Asia.
In a different way, the life story of Kurt Weill, whose Symphony No. 2 is on the program after the intermission, connects the continents: begun in Berlin in 1933 and completed in Paris the following year.
Runtime: Thu, 09/07/2026 to Thu, 09/07/2026