The opening concert on May 24 at the Tonhalle is entirely dedicated to Robert Schumann. The Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Alpesh Chauhan, will perform his 2nd Symphony, and the pianist Severin von Eckardstein will be featured as a soloist in Prokofiev's 1st Piano Concerto and Schumann's Introduction and Allegro Appassionato.
The Viennese singer Lia Pale will present "The Great European Songbook" on June 1 and transform songs of the Romantic era into the world of jazz with her jazz quintet. The South African cellist Abel Selaocoe and his Manchester Collective will combine the sounds of romantic string quartets with African singing, body percussion, and jazzy improvisations on June 8. The Sonico Tango Octet will perform music by Astor Piazzolla and Eduardo Rovira on June 11. Afterwards, the Schumann Festival invites you to dance: Milonga in the Rotunda!
The "Improvising Symphony Orchestra" will perform literally without a net and double bottom on June 13 - from memory and without conductor, music stands, or chairs. In its "Symphony of Change," the ensemble spans the musical arc over four female composers and epochs of an unheard music history, from Hildegard von Bingen to Clara Schumann, partly recomposed by improvising musicians.
At the Palais Wittgenstein, among others, the Berlin Leonkoro Quartet will perform works by Haydn, Rihm, and Schumann on June 10, the Cologne Trio Orelon will play music by Schumann, Dvořák, and Lili Boulanger on June 19, and on June 6, it will be "Men's Singing Society reloaded": The multinational ensemble Walhalla zum Seidlwirt will give the dusty men's singing society genre a joyful upgrade for the 21st century, combining Schumann, Schubert, and Mendelssohn with folk songs from seven countries.
Literally a highlight of the Schumann Festival 2024 are the popular Skyline concerts: Above the rooftops of Düsseldorf, the Russian-Dutch world-class violinist and great admirer of Schumann Liza Fertschman will perform in various ensembles with international top musicians in the upper floors of different skyscrapers in the city (June 18, 20, and 22).
Innovative music projects such as Schumann Re:Sampled (June 5, Tonhalle) also have their place in the festival program. Compositions by Clara and Robert Schumann will be newly interpreted by drummer Tarek Zarroug, pianist Timo Schieber, rappers Busy Beast and bernard., as well as the RE:sampled choir, and transformed with modern elements from hip-hop, electronics, and ambient into unheard soundscapes.
