The great event will take place in the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow on November 20-24, 2013. The Musical Olympus Foundation is bringing the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Christian Thielemann to the Russian capital. The orchestra will perform all nine symphonies by Ludwig van Beethoven in a series of four concerts.

The Vienna Philharmonic, one of the oldest symphony orchestras in Europe, rightfully holds its place among the best orchestras in the world. No other orchestra has such close ties with the history and traditions of European classical music. The orchestra was founded in 1842 and continues to impress world-famous composers and conductors, as well as music lovers from all over the world, not only with its unmatched sound carefully passed down from generation to generation, but also with its unique history and structure.

The Moscow tour of the Vienna Philharmonic in November, 2013 is going to be a landmark in Russia’s cultural life. The series of concerts will have a unique programme – all nine symphonies by Ludwig van Beethoven.

Symphony No. 9, created after the great composer had lost his hearing, will be the gem of the tour. The crown piece among Ludwig van Beethoven’s works, it was an innovation of the symphony genre. In the final movement, Friedrich Schiller’s Ode to Joy is one of the first instances of using human voice in a symphony in the history of world music. In Moscow, Ode to Joy will be performed by Sun Young Seo (soprano, South Korea), Svetlana Shilova (mezzo-soprano, Russia), Michael König (tenor, Germany), Robert Hall (bass-baritone, Netherlands), and the choir of V. S. Popov Academy of Choral Art.

“This is a unique music event for our country”, says Irina Nikitina, President of the Musical Olympus Foundation. “The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is really one of the best orchestras in the world and Beethoven’s symphonies are not only a representation of a significant stage in the development of symphony music, but are also among the greatest achievements of the world culture. Hearing such a performance of all of them is a once in a lifetime opportunity not to be missed.”

Programme

Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, Moscow, November 20-24, 2013

November 20th, 7 pm: Symphonies No. 4 and 5

November 21st, 7 pm: Symphonies No. 6 and 7

November 23rd, 7 pm: Symphonies No. 1, 2, and 3

November 24th, 2 pm: Symphonies No. 8 and 9

(With the Choir of the V. S. Popov Academy of Choral Art, Sun Young Seo (soprano, South Korea), Svetlana Shilova (mezzo-soprano, Russia), Michael König (tenor, Germany), Robert Hall (bass-baritone, Netherlands).