Grand orchestral concerts and fine chamber music, brilliant artists, plus several festivals and thematic focuses – the concert season at the Elbphilharmonie and Laeiszhalle is once again bursting at the seams and has something for every taste, from early music to jazz and electronics. With Rebecca Saunders and György Kurtág, the focus is on two of the most exciting composers of our time. Many artists make multiple appearances in Hamburg or, like André Heller and Bill Frisell, create their own focal points in the programme. The already extensive world music programme will be complemented by a festival of Kurdish music. An overview by genre can be found in the list below.

No, the Elbphilharmonie is not an opera house. Nevertheless, you can still enjoy the ultimate in operatic delights here. The programme offers not only concertant performances – purely musical productions – but also fully staged operas with stage sets and costumes created especially for the Grand Hall.There are nine operas to experience in the 2023/24 season. The spectrum ranges from Purcell’s »Dido and Aeneas« and Offenbach’s »Orpheus in the Underworld« on New Year’s Eve to Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s »Die Soldaten«.

The lively and diverse contemporary music scene has figured prominently in the Elbphilharmonie’s event calendar from the very beginning. And the full spectrum of contemporary music can be experienced again this season – from trios to large orchestral concerts.

In the halls of the Elbphilharmonie and the Laeiszhalle, it’s not only the major symphonic repertoire that comes into its own. The full beauty of early music is also revealed here – another incentive for high-quality historical performance ensembles and top soloists from around the world to come to Hamburg.

Experience the great voices of our time: lieder singers and opera stars such as Anna Prohaska, Christian Gerhaher and Malcolm Martineau present varied aria programmes and intimate recitals – always supported by the most experienced lieder accompanists and first-class ensembles.

For piano fans, the season begins and ends with Bach – and with the Icelandic star pianist Víkingur Ólafsson. Also appearing this season: Jan Lisiecki and Khatia Buniatishvili, Piotr Anderszewski and Pierre-Laurent Aimard, the Jussen brothers, Sir András Schiff and, for the first time with a solo evening at the Elbphilharmonie, superstar Lang Lang.

The recital halls at the Elbphilharmonie and Laeiszhalle are both perfect for chamber music and song recitals. In the intimate ambience, audiences get even closer to the artists and can follow the interaction on stage particularly well.

These artists have what it takes to become the big names of tomorrow. Every year, the major European concert halls select the most exciting young musicians for the »Rising Stars« and send them on tour. The »Teatime Classics« presents hand-picked young prize-winners in the Laeiszhalle Recital Hall.

The Elbphilharmonie’s organ, which fits perfectly into the Grand Hall both visually and acoustically, has long since established itself as a fixed stop on the tour calendar of international concert organists. Four of them are taking their places at the manuals this season: up first is resident organist Iveta Apkalna, who appears in a trio alongside vocals and accordion with a musical programme that combines classical and folk music.

The jazz programme presents familiar guests such as Wolfgang Muthspiel, Cécile McLorin Salvant and Brad Mehldau, but also new facets such as a focus on the jazz harp with virtuosos like Brandee Younger and Edmar Castaneda. Jason Moran celebrates Duke Ellington’s 125th birthday with the hr-Bigband. An American all-star band celebrates the symphonic jazz of the great, recently deceased, saxophonist Wayne Shorter. And with Lakecia Benjamin and recent Grammy award-winner Samara Joy, there are two young, exciting female musicians from the USA to discover.

The world is sound: the acts in the »Around the World« series, for which sitar star Anoushka Shankar returns to Hamburg, take their own fresh, contemporary approach to tradition. The ensembles in »World Classical Music«, on the other hand, have dedicated themselves entirely to tradition – to the classical music of their respective countries. A three-day festival in November shines the spotlight on Kurdish music – its most famous representative in Europe, Aynur, will, of course, be appearing in concert.

Pop and electronica also belong in a 21st-century concert hall. Hot Hamburg artists are given a stage in the »Made in Hamburg« series. Sound magicians, synthesizer gods and modular tinkerers continue to perform in the »ePhil« series at the Elbphilharmonie. And in the Kaistudio, they unscramble the music of the future »below deck«.

The Elbphilharmonie has something to offer everyone – even the young: the »Twinkle Concerts« present imaginative productions from all over Europe. The »Klangzeit« series is aimed at people with dementia and their families. And the Elbphilharmonie also puts on a range of events in cultural centres around the city.