To read the latest newsletter, click here.

2013 Europian Tour of the Australian Youth Orchestra

News that the Australian Youth Orchestra will tour internationally in 2013 with one of the greatest conductors of our time Christoph Eschenbach and Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell has been greeted with great excitement. Eschenbach, visiting Sydney with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, took time out from his performance schedule to join in the exciting announcement. “I have wonderful memories of touring once before with the Australian Youth Orchestra. Wonderful young musicians, perfectly prepared.” The tour to which he is referring took place in 1988, with a then 21-year-old Colin Cornish (now CEO of the AYO) sitting in amongst the violin section. “When Eschenbach conducted the AYO, for me the experience was life-changing. At that age, being able to learn from someone of his level was an extraordinary and invaluable opportunity.” Colin is proud of the fact that Eschenbach has decided to rejoin the orchestra in 2013. “Being able to secure artists like Eschenbach and Joshua Bell is a tribute to the calibre of Australia’s national youth orchestra.”

view image
more info

The NSO plans a European tour

more info

Nobel Prize Concert with Christoph Eschenbach & Ray Chen

For this exceptionnal event Christoph Eshenbach will be conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Stockholm. At his side the young Chinese vituoso Ray Chen will perform the Concerto by Bruch, and works by Beethoven and Mahler will also be part of the program.

more info

Performances with Israel Philharmonic Orchestra November 2012

more info

Public Lieder Masterclass with Matthias Goerne and Christoph Eschenbach

more info

Opening of the National Symphony Orchestra's 2012-2013 Concert Season

On September 30th, Christoph Eschenbach will open the National Symphony Orchestra's 2012-2013 concert season in Washington D.C., USA, at the Kennedy Center. Under his direction with globally-famous violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, the orchestra will be featuring works by Beethoven and Mendelssohn, among others. The new season is Christoph Eschenbach's second one as Music Director of the NSO and of the Kennedy Center.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach at the Schleswig-Holstein Musical Festival, Summer 2012

more info

The National Symphony Orchestra's Americas Tour 2012

Beginning June 12, 2012, the National Symphony Orchestra embarks on its first international concert tour under the leadership of Music Director Christoph Eschenbach. The "Americas Tour" will open in Mexico City, and will include concerts in four other countries: Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; Buenos Aires and Rosario, Argentina; Montevideo, Uruguay; and three concerts in Brazil, two of which will take place in São Paulo and one in Rio de Janeiro.

"I am very pleased to be making my first international tour with my wonderful orchestra," said Christoph Eschenbach. "Part of my goal for the National Symphony is to bring this great orchestra to wider recognition. It is especially pleasing that this tour visits a part of the world that occupies a very important place in the NSO's history, as it does in mine. One of my very earliest tours as a pianist included many of the same countries we will visit, and to this day I remember the warmth and welcome of the audiences. I'm sure that our concerts will be enjoyed by our audiences, and will contribute to greater international artistic friendship."

view image
more info

Gala Event at Alice Tully Hall, LINCOLN CENTER- NEW YORK- MAY 30TH, 2012

The Clarins Million Meals Gala Benefit at Alice Tully Hall for the Feed Foundation on May 30th

Christoph Eschenbach was proud to take part to the FEED Foundation and Clarins 's first Clarins Million Meals Concert for FEED, celebrating FEED's fifth anniversary on May 30 at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. The concert, which began at 8 PM, benefited the FEED Foundation with a goal to raise enough money in one evening to provide one million school meals. Former President Bill Clinton has made a special appearance. Performers included singers John Legend and Natasha Bedingfield, New York Philharmonic conductor Alan Gilbert, violist David Aaron Carpenter, the PS 22 Chorus and National Symphony Orchestra conductor and pianist Christoph Eschenbach. The featured orchestra was the Salomé Chamber Orchestra. Over the past five years, FEED has provided nearly 60 million school meals around the world, mostly in Africa and Haiti, through the sale of FEED products and donations by the FEED Foundation to organizations like the WFP, UNICEF and DonorsChoose.org.

view image
more info

Mozart triumph in Paris in spring 2012

more info

An appointment with a sublime Schubert

Between April 16th and 22nd Baritone Matthias Goerne joins pianist Christoph Eschenbach for "Winterreise" and "Die schöne Müllerin", plus a program of orchestrated Schubert songs and the "Great" Symphony in C major, with Eschenbach conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Schubert’s amazing, in seemingly instinctive, mastery was as apparent in songs as in symphonies; this program matches the most expansive of his symphonic works with some of his miniature marvels, performed in orchestrations by a fascinating range of later German and Austrian composers.

view image
more info

New CD Releases with Christoph Eschenbach

A new CD release on the Capriccio label focuses on Peter Tchaikovsky and features the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and conductor Christoph Eschenbach together with two of his discoveries and musician friends: pianist Tzimon Barto is the soloist in the First Piano Concerto, while Dimitri Maslennikov performs the cello soloist part in the Rococo Variations (Capriccio C5065). A Dvorak chamber music recording, released on the Avie label, features Christoph Eschenbach as pianist with the Thymos Quartet and with soprano Adriana Kucerova (Avie AV2234). Both CD releases have become available internationally in mid-November 2011.

more info

Free Audio Streaming of Two Concerts with Vienna Philharmonic

Subsequent to Christoph Eschenbach and the Vienna Philharmonic's recent tour to Australia, the ABC Classic FM broadcasts of two concerts will successively become available for free audio streaming at viennaphilharmonic.christoph-eschenbach.com for a limited time. The September 30th concert in Perth coupled Schubert's Unfinished Symphony with Beethoven's Symphony No. 8, and featured baritone Matthias Goerne as soloist in Mahler's song cycle from "Des Knaben Wunderhorn." The concert in Brisbane on October 3rd included Brahms' Tragic Overture, Mozart's Symphony No. 34 and Bruckner's Symphony No. 4 ("Romantic").

view image
more info

Christoph Eschenbach and the Vienna Philharmonic Embark on Tour to Australia and Asia

Between September 29th and October 19th, Christoph Eschenbach leads the Vienna Philharmonic on a concert tour to Australia, China and Japan. The three-week tour includes sixteen concerts in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Hong Kong, Macau, Yokohama, Hiroshima, Nagoya and Tokyo, where they will also perform a benefit concert in aid of recovery from the great East Japan earthquake and tsunami earlier this year. Baritone Matthias Goerne and pianist Lang Lang are featured as soloists in some of the tour's concerts. Upon their return to Europe, Christoph Eschenbach will conduct two performances with the Vienna Philharmonic and soloist Matthias Goerne at the Vienna Musikverein (on October 22nd and 23rd).

view image
more info

Public Lieder Masterclass with Matthias Goerne and Christoph Eschenbach

Christoph Eschenbach and baritone Matthias Goerne will jointly conduct a public masterclass for Lieder duos (voice and piano) on October 21st, 2012 at the Philharmonie in Essen. Duo applications may be sent to the Philharmonie Essen by November 12th, 2011. For more detailed information (in German) on the application process click the more info link below.

view image
more info

Christoph Eschenbach Extends Contract with National Symphony Orchestra and Kennedy Center

Christoph Eschenbach has extended his contract as Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Kennedy Center through the 2014-2015 season. The extension, announced at the NSO's annual season-opening ball on September 25th, adds two seasons to his original three-year contract.

more info

Opening of the National Symphony Orchestra's 2011-2012 Concert Season

On September 25th, Christoph Eschenbach opened the National Symphony Orchestra's 2011-2012 concert season in Washington, D.C., USA at the Kennedy Center. Under his direction, the gala event featured works by Dvorák, Bruch, Copland, and Ravel with violinist Joshua Bell and baritone Thomas Hampson as soloists. The occasion included a film celebrating the NSO's 80th anniversary and the Kennedy Center's 40th. The new season marks Christoph Eschenbach's second one as Music Director of the NSO and Music Director of the Kennedy Center.

view image
more info

New CD Release with National Symphony Orchestra

Christoph Eschenbach and the National Symphony Orchestra's first CD recording is now available internationally at physical retail and for digital download. Released by Ondine, it features the late Peter Lieberson's composition Remembering JFK (An American Elegy), with Richard Dreyfuss narrating, Leonard Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from 'West Side Story', and George Gershwin's Concerto in F with piano soloist Tzimon Barto. The live recordings were made in January 2011 at the Kennedy Center, during a festival celebrating the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's inauguration as U.S. President. The release includes an additional bonus CD with excerpts from the original radio broadcast of the 1961 Inaugural Concert.

view image
more info

Christoph Eschenbach and the Dresden Staatskapelle Embark on Tour of Europe

During the first half of May, Christoph Eschenbach and the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden embark on a tour of Europe. Following three concerts in Dresden (May 1st-3rd), their itinerary includes eight performances in five countries (May 5th-13th). Christoph Eschenbach will conduct Brahms' First Symphony (replaced by Bruckner's Fourth Symphony on May 7th, in Vienna). Gidon Kremer will be the soloist in Schumann's Violin Concerto in Dresden, Vienna, Luxembourg, Paris, and Brussels. Cellist Leonard Elschenbroich will perform Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations in Dresden, Vienna, Luxembourg, Cardiff, and Birmingham.

view image
more info

Kennedy Center and National Symphony Orchestra Announce 2011-12 Concert Season

In his second season as Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra and of the Kennedy Center, Christoph Eschenbach will conduct ten weeks of subscription concerts in Washington, D.C. There will be an ongoing focus on the music of Beethoven, including Symphonies No. 3 "Eroica", No. 6 "Pastoral", and No. 7, Leonore Overture No. 3, and a concert performance of Fidelio. Christoph Eschenbach will present the Opening Ball Concert with violin soloist Joshua Bell on September 25th, 2011. Further soloists during the season will include violinists Leonidas Kavakos, Midori, and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, cellist Claudio Bohórquez, clarinetist Jörg Widmann, mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung, baritone Matthias Goerne, and glass harmonica artist Christa Schönfeldinger, among others. The season's program will also feature performances of Dvorák's Stabat Mater and Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle, tying into a festival held at the Kennedy Center and celebrating the music of Budapest, Prague, and Vienna. Christoph Eschenbach's chamber music appearances will include Schubert's Winterreise with baritone Matthias Goerne, and Mozart Sonatas with violinist Dan Zhu.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach and National Symphony Orchestra Make First Recording Together

Christoph Eschenbach and the National Symphony Orchestra will record Peter Lieberson’s new composition Remembering JFK (An American Elegy), with Richard Dreyfuss narrating, for the Ondine label. Made during a John F. Kennedy Festival held at the Kennedy Center from January 20th to 24th, the live recording will also include pianist Tzimon Barto playing the Gershwin Piano Concerto and works by Bernstein. The CD is scheduled for an international release in May-June 2011. For more information on the first season of Christoph Eschenbach as Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Kennedy Center, click here. For more information on the recording project, click on 'more info' herewith below.

view image
more info

Gramophone Editor's Choice for the London Philharmonic Orchestra's Recording of Bruckner's Sixth

The recent release of Bruckner's Sixth Symphony with Christoph Eschenbach conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra has been selected as an 'Editor's Choice' in the February 2011 issue of Gramophone Magazine ("Eschenbach's gripping return to the A major symphony").

view image
more info

Hindemith's Opera 'Mathis der Maler' at the Opéra Bastille with Matthias Goerne, the Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus and Christoph Eschenbach

Star baritone Matthias Goerne is singing the title role of Paul Hindemith's opera 'Mathis der Maler' in a production staged by Olivier Py and performed at the Opéra Bastille in Paris. Christoph Eschenbach is directing a cast of eleven soloists and the ensemble of the Paris Opera. Eight performances are taking place between November 16th and December 6th, 2010. A live recording will be broadcast by the French public radio station France Musique on December 11th at 7 PM (CET).

more info

New CD Release of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6 with London Philharmonic Orchestra

Christoph Eschenbach's CD recording of Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 6 with the London Philharmonic Orchestra is now available on the LPO label. The recording was made during a live performance in November 2009 at London's Royal Festival Hall and released internationally in November 2010.

view image
more info

The Complete Mahler Symphonies with Christoph Eschenbach and Orchestre de Paris Now Available for Free Video Streaming

The complete nine symphonies of Gustav Mahler are now available online for free streaming at mahler.christoph-eschenbach.com. Each symphony was recorded with the Orchestre de Paris under the direction of Christoph Eschenbach and filmed by the director François Goetghebeur. Between February 19th and October 15th, each month a new symphony has been put online. The free streaming of all nine symphonies is offered by christoph-eschenbach.com, in collaboration with the websites of the Orchestre de Paris and Medici TV, in connection with the 150th anniversary of Gustav Mahler's birth, as well as Christoph Eschenbach's 70th anniversary in 2010.

more info

The National Symphony Orchestra's Season Opening Ball Concert

Christoph Eschenbach's inaugural performance as Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Kennedy Center, with guests Renée Fleming and Lang Lang, will take place on Saturday, September 25th, 2010, at 7:00 PM in Washington, D.C., USA at the Kennedy Center.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach Leads the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival's 25th Anniversary Concert

2010 marks the 25th anniversary of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. Christoph Eschenbach, who has been closely related to the Festival as its Artistic Director from 1999-2002 and as the Orchestral Academy's Principal Conductor since 2004, will lead the jubilee concert on August 15th at the Sparkassen-Arena in Kiel. Starting at 5.00 PM, the gala concert will feature major soloists and Christoph Eschenbach conducting the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra.

more info

"Eschenbach & Friends" - Three Concerts in Salzau on July 18th

On July 18th, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival presented a marathon of three concerts in Salzau, Germany: in celebration of his 70th birthday five months earlier, Christoph Eschenbach was featured together with nine of his discoveries and musician friends: violinists Ye-Eun Choi, Erik Schumann, and Dan Zhu, violist David Aaron Carpenter, cellists Dimitri Maslennikov and Alisa Weilerstein, and pianists Tzimon Barto and Christopher Tainton. Christoph Eschenbach was their partner on piano or conducting the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra, of which he became Principal Conductor in 2004. The list of the performing artists also included the string ensemble Time for Three and the Sirba Octet. Click here for a video portrait and here for an audio interview with Christoph Eschenbach (in German). For complete information, also in German, click below.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach Leads the Opening of the 2010 Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival

On July 10th and 11th, Christoph Eschenbach will open in Lubeck, Germany, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2010. Under his direction, the NDR Sinfonieorchester will perform Robert Schumann's Third Symphony and Gustav Mahler's Fourth Symphony, paying tribute to this year's 200th anniversary of Schumann's birth and the 150th anniversary of Mahler's birth. The second concert on Sunday, July 11th, at 11.00 AM (CET) will be broadcast live by the NDR Kultur radio station, as well as at 8.15 PM (CET) by the 3sat TV channel. For more information, in German, click below.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach Conducts the Czech Philharmonic in Prague on Gustav Mahler's Birthday

On the 150th birthday of Gustav Mahler, on July 7th, Christoph Eschenbach will conduct the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in Mahler's Second Symphony "Resurrection". The concert at Prague's legendary Rudolfinum will feature soloists Yvonne Naef, mezzo-soprano,  and Simona Saturova, soprano, as well as the Brno Philharmonic Choir.

Christoph Eschenbach Tours Germany with Works by Robert Schumann

Between June 6th and 13th, Christoph Eschenbach will embark on a tour of five German cities. Joined by piano soloist Tzimon Barto, he will be performing with the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker at the Schumannfest in Düsseldorf (June 6th), and with the NDR Sinfonieorchester in Hamburg (11th), Lübeck (12th), and Neubrandenburg (13th). Together, they will present a "piano concerto arrangement" of three late Schumann works, which they have recorded for a CD released by the Ondine label in February 2010. Christoph Eschenbach and Tzimon Barto will also appear in a piano duo recital at the Ruhr Klavier-Festival in Dortmund (June 7th). On the 200th birthday of Robert Schumann on June 8th, Christoph Eschenbach will conduct the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker in Düsseldorf, with Saleem Abboud Ashkar a soloist in the Schumann Piano Concerto.

Christoph Eschenbach Website To Offer Free Video Streaming of The Complete Mahler Symphonies

In connection with the 150th anniversary of Gustav Mahler's birth, as well as Christoph Eschenbach's 70th anniversary in 2010, christoph-eschenbach.com, in collaboration with the websites of the Orchestre de Paris and Medici TV will each offer a unique free streaming experience of all of Gustav Mahler's Symphonies. Each month, starting on February 19th, 2010 (Symphony No. 2) and then on the 15th of each month thereafter, a new symphony of Gustav Mahler will be put online for free streaming at mahler.christoph-eschenbach.com. Each symphony was recorded with the Orchestre de Paris under the direction of Christoph Eschenbach and filmed by the director François Goetghebeur. By October 15th, 2010 the complete symphonies will be online for streaming and remain accessible until at least July 2011.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach Celebrated His Birthday with Concerts in Paris

Christoph Eschenbach's seventieth birthday celebrations included three concerts with the Orchestre de Paris, which he has led as Music Director for nearly ten years, at the Salle Pleyel in Paris. On February 17th and 18th, he led a Berlioz programme featuring mezzo-soprano Waltraud Meier as soloist. On the afternoon of his birthday on February 20th, Christoph Eschenbach conducted two Mozart piano concertos from the piano. A birthday gala concert in the evening featured him in a chamber programme together with violinist Gidon Kremer, violist David Aaron Carpenter, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, pianist Tzimon Barto, tenor Nikolai Schukoff, and baritone Matthias Goerne.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach Conducts the Vienna Philharmonic in Vienna and Salzburg

On January 21th, 2010, Christoph Eschenbach will lead the Vienna Philharmonic at the Vienna Musikverein for the ceremonial opening of the 2010 Vienna Philharmonic Ball. On January 23rd, 2010, Christoph Eschenbach and the Vienna Philharmonic will give a concert in Salzburg as part of the 2010 Mozartwoche festival; the all-Mozart programme will include the Concerto for Two Pianos, featuring Christoph Eschenbach and Lars Vogt as soloists. Since the 2004 Salzburg Festival, Christoph Eschenbach has been a frequent guest with the Vienna Philharmonic.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach Leads the London Philharmonic Orchestra on its Tour to China

Together with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Christoph Eschenbach will embark on a tour of China between December 31st, 2009, and January 6th, 2010. Starting with concerts on New Year's Eve and on New Year in Shenzhen, their itinerary will further include two performances each in Shanghai and in Beijing.

Opening of the Orchestre de Paris's 2009-2010 Concert Season

On September 16th and 17th, Christoph Eschenbach will open the Orchestre de Paris's 2009-10 concert season, and his own ninth and final season as music director, with Gustav Mahler's Third Symphony. This new season will coincide with the 150th anniversary of Gustav Mahler's birth. Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris will conclude their multi-year Mahler cycle with performances of the Seventh Symphony on October 7th and 8th and 'Das Lied von der Erde' on October 14th. On February 20th, Christoph Eschenbach will celebrate his own 70th birthday with Mozart's Piano Concertos Nos. 12 and 23, which he will conduct from the piano. During the 2009-10 season, a number of renowned pianists will pay homage to Christoph Eschenbach with soloist performances, including Tzimon Barto (September 23rd and 24th), Daniel Barenboim (September 29th), Lang Lang (October 14th), Cédric Tiberghien (February 4th) and David Fray (February 10th and 11th). For the final concerts of this season, Christoph Eschenbach will lead the Orchestre de Paris in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (June 16th and 17th).((

more info

Christoph Eschenbach Performs at Major Summer Festivals in Europe, Japan and USA

During summer 2009, Christoph Eschenbach is giving concerts as conductor, lied accompanist, chamber musician and piano soloist at several major festivals, including the Schubertiade Schwarzenberg in Austria (June 23-25), the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan (July 6-12), the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in Germany (July 18-19 and August 13-30), and the Ravinia Festival (July 24 - August 2).

New CD Releases Feature Christoph Eschenbach as Conductor and Lied Accompanist

On his latest CD recording for the Ondine label (released May/June 2009), Christoph Eschenbach conducts the first-ever commercial recording of Paul Hindemith's long lost Klaviermusik mit Orchester Op. 29, for piano left-hand and orchestra. Soloist Leon Fleisher is accompanied by the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, which also performs Antonín Dvorák's Symphony No. 9 "From the New World". As lied accompanist of baritone Matthias Goerne, Christoph Eschenbach has recorded Schubert's three song cycles Die schöne Müllerin, Winterreise and Schwanengesang for Harmonia Mundi. The international release of the first CD, Die schöne Müllerin, is accompanied by recital performances in London, Schwarzenberg and Ravinia during summer 2009.

view image
more info

New CD Release of Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony with The Philadelphia Orchestra Coincides with European Tour

Mahler's Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection" is the eighth CD release as part of Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra's partnership with Ondine. The recording features soprano Simona Saturova, mezzo-soprano Yvonne Naef and the Philadelphia Singers Chorale and is now available. Between January 26 and February 14, Christoph Eschenbach leads the Orchestra on its 2009 Tour of Europe, where they visit nine cities in five countries. The three-week tour includes concerts in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on the Canary Islands, as well as in Barcelona, Lisbon, Madrid, Valencia, Luxembourg, Budapest and Vienna. Renowned violinist Leonidas Kavakos is featured as soloist in eight of the tour's concerts.

view image
more info

Recording of Kaija Saariaho Works Wins MIDEM Classical Award 2009

Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris' recording of three recent works by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho has earned the Ondine label a MIDEM Classical Award 2009 in the 'Contemporary Music' category. The winning disc couples Mirage for soprano, cello and orchestra with the cello concerto Notes on Light and the orchestral piece Orion, and features star soprano Karita Mattila and cellist Anssi Karttunen. During the official ceremony on January 20, the jury acknowledged the "extremely refined, appealing music by one of the world's foremost composers in inspired, colourful and highly emotional performances." Earlier in November 2008, the CD had been chosen as 'Editor's Choice' in Gramophone Magazine.

view image
more info

Christoph Eschenbach Endorses the YouTube Symphony Orchestra

Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris are lending their support to the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, the world's first collaborative online orchestra, by inviting musicians from around the world to audition. Video applications can be submitted by January 28th, 2009 at www.youtube.com/symphony. To view a video message by Christoph Eschenbach, click here. The YouTube Symphony Orchestra was initiated by YouTube in collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, composer Tan Dun, and pianist Lang Lang.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach Conducts the Vienna Philharmonic in Presence of Pope Benedict XVI.

Christoph Eschenbach led the Vienna Philharmonic in three concerts (October 10-12) at the Vienna Musikverein, before taking the orchestra on tour to Rome, Aalborg (Denmark) and Cologne (October 13-15). The program featured Schubert's 'Unfinished' and Bruckner's Sixth Symphony. The concert in Rome was given in the presence of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI at the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, as part of the Festival di Musica e Arte Sacra. Click here for video coverage of the event (commentary in German).

view image

Christoph Eschenbach Named Music Director of National Symphony Orchestra and Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Christoph Eschenbach has been named the sixth Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra and the newly created position of Music Director of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. He will become Music Director Designate with the 2009-10 season and Music Director in the 2010-11 season.

view image
more info

Kaija Saariaho Works Featured on New CD Release

A new Ondine release of recent works by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho is now available. The world première of Mirage, for soprano, cello and orchestra, is coupled with the cello concerto Notes on Light and the large-scale work Orion for orchestra. The recording features star soprano Karita Mattila and cellist Anssi Karttunen, as well as the Orchestre de Paris led by Christoph Eschenbach. The program was given on March 13, 2008 at the Salle Pleyel in Paris to a sold-out audience, and the event received much international acclaim.

view image
more info

Christoph Eschenbach Launches Orchestre de Paris's 2008-09 Concert Season

On September 18th and 20th, Christoph Eschenbach conducted the first concerts of the Orchestre de Paris's new season. The program featured Beethoven's Missa Solemnis with soloists Christine Schäfer, Annette Jahns, Paul Groves and Robert Holl. Highlights of the 2008-09 concert season will include performances of works by Gustav Mahler: the symphonies nos. 4, 5 and 9 and the song cycles Des Knaben Wunderhorn (featuring Matthias Goerne), Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Thomas Hampson) and Kindertotenlieder (Nathalie Stutzmann). Christoph Eschenbach will lead the orchestra on tour to Essen, Germany, in February/March 2009; after the concert season's ending in May, they will tour together with soprano Renée Fleming to Hamburg, Copenhagen, Oslo, Göteborg and Stockholm.

view image
more info

Christoph Eschenbach To Perform at Major European Summer Festivals

During summer 2008, Christoph Eschenbach is giving concerts at several European festivals, including the Epidaurus Festival in Athens, Greece (July 11th), the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in Germany (July 20th-27th), the Verbier (July 29th) and Lucerne (August 29th) festivals in Switzerland, the Grafenegg Festival in Austria (August 31st), the Musikfest Berlin in Germany (September 8th) and the BBC Promenade Concerts in the U.K. (September 11th). Christoph Eschenbach is performing these concerts in the roles of conductor, lied accompanist and piano duo partner.

Christoph Eschenbach To Conduct the Vienna Philharmonic

Christoph Eschenbach will lead the Vienna Philharmonic in four concerts (June 13, 14, 15 & 16, 2008) at the Vienna Musikverein, taking over the direction after a last-minute cancellation. The program will include Antonín Dvorák's Symphony No. 9 "New World" and Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks by Richard Strauss. Following these concerts, Christoph Eschenbach will undertake an extensive east European tour together with the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra and cello soloist Daniel Müller-Schott. Between June 19th and 29th, they will perform concerts in Germany, Armenia, Lithuania and Russia.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra Tour Asia in May and June

Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra will embark on a tour of Asia between May 23rd and June 8th, 2008. Together, they will tour six cities in three weeks, performing eleven concerts. Their itinerary will include concerts in Japan (Tokyo, Hyogo); Korea (Seoul); and China (Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai). Pianist Lang Lang, violinist Midori and two members of the orchestra (violinist Juliette Kang and violist Choong-Jin Chang) will join as soloists. This tour marks the 35th anniversary of the Orchestra's first visit to China in 1973 and the 30th anniversary of its first visit to Korea.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach To Conduct World Première Recording of Hindemith Work

On April 27th, 2008 at Verizon Hall in Philadelphia's Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts Christoph Eschenbach, together with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra and pianist Leon Fleisher, will perform a recently discovered and relatively unknown work of Paul Hindemith entitled Klaviermusik mit Orchester Op. 29. Hindemith's score for piano left hand and orchestra was given its world première performance in 2004 also with Leon Fleisher as soloist. The April 27th performance in Philadelphia will be recorded for release by the Ondine label in spring 2009, marking the first commercial recording of the piece.

view image
more info

Kaija Saariaho World Première Featuring Karita Mattila, Anssi Karttunen and the Orchestre de Paris under Christoph Eschenbach To Be Released on CD

On March 13, Finnish star soprano Karita Mattila, cellist Anssi Karttunen, the Orchestre de Paris and Christoph Eschenbach performed the world première of 'Mirage' by Kaija Saariaho in a concert that was recorded by Radio France for a CD release on Ondine in autumn 2008. The concert also included the Cello Concerto 'Notes on Light,' as well as 'Orion' for orchestra by the Finnish composer who is Musical America's 'Composer of the Year 2008.'

view image
more info

New CD Release Completes the Acclaimed Roussel Symphonies Cycle with Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris

Ondine has released the third recording in its complete cycle of Albert Roussel's symphonies with Christoph Eschenbach conducting the Orchestre de Paris. With this release, the complete symphonies are now available. Here, the popular Third Symphony is coupled with the complete ballet music for 'Le Festin de l'araignée' (The Spider's Feast). Containing the three other symphonies and the ballet music for 'Bacchus et Ariane,' the two previous Ondine releases in this internationally acclaimed series have contributed to the rediscovery and recent revival of the great French composer's music.

view image
more info

Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra Celebrate Leonard Bernstein with Festival of His Works

Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra begin 2008 with a Bernstein Festival in celebration of the 90th anniversary of the birth of one of America's greatest musicians, Leonard Bernstein. The festival runs from January 10th until February 2nd. Christoph Eschenbach will lead several performances of the 'Symphonic Dances from West Side Story' and 'Jeremiah' (Symphony No. 1).

more info

Christoph Eschenbach and Lang Lang Receive Grammy Nomination

Christoph Eschenbach and pianist Lang Lang's recording of Beethoven's Concertos for piano and orchestra Nos. 1 and 4, featuring also the Orchestre de Paris, has been nominated for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra at the upcoming 50th Grammy Awards. Since its release in May 2007 on the Deutsche Grammophon label, the recording has received the highest praise from the international press.

view image

Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris Perform Scenes from Salomé with Karita Mattila

Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris will perform with Finnish star soprano Karita Mattila in two concerts on October 22nd and 24th at the Salle Pleyel in Paris. Karita Mattila will sing "Dance of the Seven Veils" and the Final Scene from the opera 'Salome' by Richard Strauss. The first half of the concert will feature Christoph Eschenbach as pianist together with members of the Orchestre de Paris in a chamber music program. In March 2008, Karita Mattila, the Orchestre de Paris and Christoph Eschenbach will perform the world première of Kaija Saariaho's new work 'Mirage,' which they will also be recording for the Ondine label.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris Tour Asia in October and November

Together with the Orchestre de Paris, Christoph Eschenbach will embark on a tour of Asia between October 25th and November 12th, 2007. Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris will tour seven cities in three weeks, performing twelve concerts. Their itinerary will include concerts in China (Beijing, Shanghai); Taiwan (Taipei); Japan (Kyoto, Tokyo, Kitakyushu) and Korea (Seoul). Pianist Lang Lang, violinist Akiko Suwanai and cellist Sung-Won Yang will join the Orchestra as soloists. Together with Lang Lang, Christoph Eschenbach will also perform as pianist in Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos.

view image

Christoph Eschenbach Launches The Philadelphia Orchestra's 2007-08 Concert Season

On September 20th, Christoph Eschenbach will conduct the first concert of The Philadelphia Orchestra's new concert season. The program will include two symphonic masterpieces: Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring' and Tchaikovsky's First Symphony ("Winter Daydreams"). The official Season's Opening Night Gala concert on September 29th will feature Anne-Sophie Mutter in Brahms's Violin Concerto. The 2007-08 concert season is Christoph Eschenbach's fifth and last season as music director of The Philadelphia Orchestra.

view image
more info

Christoph Eschenbach Leads the Opening of the Orchestre de Paris's 2007-08 Concert Season

On September 12th and 13th, Christoph Eschenbach will open the Orchestre de Paris's 2007-08 concert season and his own seventh season as its music director. Piano superstar Lang Lang will be featured as soloist in Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto and Choral Fantasy (together with the Choeur de l'Orchestre de Paris). The program will also include Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony. The new season will mark the 40th anniversary of the Orchestre de Paris, as well as the 180th anniversary of the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, the orchestra's predecessor and the oldest professional symphonic ensemble in France.

more info

The Philadelphia Orchestra and Christoph Eschenbach Announce Continued Relationship

The Philadelphia Orchestra Association and Music Director Christoph Eschenbach have announced the continuation of Maestro Eschenbach's relationship with The Philadelphia Orchestra beyond the conclusion of his tenure as music director at the close of the 2007-08 season. Christoph Eschenbach will return to Philadelphia to conduct the Orchestra in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach Leads the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra on its First Tour to Brazil

After a critically acclaimed series of six concerts with the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra in Germany, with concerts in Lubeck, Hamburg and Ingolstadt, Christoph Eschenbach embarks with this renowned international youth orchestra on its first-ever tour of Brazil. Together with Eschenbach protégé Eric Schumann, who will be the soloist in violin concertos by Tchaikovsky and Bruch, the ensemble will be performing in Rio de Janeiro (August 10th) and Sao Paulo (August 12th, 13th and 14th). Christoph Eschenbach has been closely connected to the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival for many years and has been the Orchestra's principal conductor since 2004.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra Touring the United States

Music Director Christoph Eschenbach leads The Philadelphia Orchestra on a United States Tour between May 15 and June 3, 2007. The three-week tour, which includes 12 concerts in 11 cities, is opening in the American heartland, traveling the length of the West Coast, and concluding on the East Coast. Audiences will hear works by Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Berlioz, Mozart, Schoenberg, and Schubert and performances by world-renowned German baritone Matthias Goerne and Orchestra principal woodwinds Richard Woodhams, Ricardo Morales, Daniel Matsukawa, and Jennifer Montone as featured soloists.

more info

Massenet's Opera 'Thaïs' at the Châtelet Theater in Paris with Renée Fleming, the Orchestre de Paris and Christoph Eschenbach

Star soprano Renée Fleming is singing the title role of Jules Massenet's opera 'Thaïs' in a concert version performed at the Châtelet Theater in Paris. Christoph Eschenbach is directing a cast of nine soloists, the Choeur Accentus and the Orchestre de Paris. Performances are taking place on April 16th, 19th and 21st.

view image
more info

BBC Music Magazine Award for Zemlinsky CD with Christoph Eschenbach

The recording of Alexander von Zemlinsky's 'Lyric Symphony', featuring soprano Christine Schäfer, baritone Matthias Goerne and the Orchestre de Paris led by Christoph Eschenbach, has earned the Capriccio label a BBC Music Magazine Award 2007 in the category 'Technical excellence in recording'. Earlier in July 2006, the CD had been chosen as 'Disc of the Month' in the BBC Music Magazine, as well as 'Editor's Choice' in Gramophone Magazine. Find more information about the CD in DISCOGRAPHY.

view image
more info

New Tchaikovsky Fourth with Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra

Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony is Ondine's fifth recording with Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchesta and will be released internationally in May 2007. As an added bonus this hybrid SACD also includes the final six piano movements (July-December) from Tchaikovsky's 'The Seasons' with Christoph Eschenbach as pianist. This disc follows the enthusiastic press and success of the previous recording of Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony, coupled with the first half of 'The Seasons' (Ondine ODE 1076-5).

view image
more info

Documentary 'Listening to Mahler' Features Christoph Eschenbach

A new documentary, 'A Wayfarer's Journey: Listening to Mahler,' explores the relationship of music (especially Mahler's music) to healing and survival. Christoph Eschenbach appears in the film talking about how music helped him recover from the trauma of World War II. He is also shown conducting the Curtis Symphony in Mahler's First Symphony. In addition, several Philadelphia Orchestra performances are featured, including a movement from Mahler's Fifth Symphony performed in Tokyo in 2005, as well as excerpts from the Orchestra's recent Ondine recording of Mahler's Sixth Symphony. 'Listening to Mahler' is presented by WHYY. It airs in the Philadelphia area on WHYY-TV12 on Thursday, April 5, at 10:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 8, at 3:30 p.m. For show times in other areas, visit www.PBS.org. The documentary is available on DVD for purchase at www.shoppbs.org.

view image
more info

New Recordings with The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Orchestre de Paris

Christoph Eschenbach's fourth recording with The Philadelphia Orchestra showcases the Kimmel Center's new Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ, the largest organ in a U.S. concert hall. The live recording features Cathedral of Notre Dame organist Olivier Latry in Saint-Saëns's majestic 'Organ' Symphony No. 3, Poulenc's Organ Concerto and Barber's Toccata Festiva. Since its international release on February 13, 2007, it has garnered excellent reviews and accolades, including 'Gramophone recommends'. An Albert Roussel disc featuring Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris with the First and Fourth Symphonies will be released by Ondine in April. It is the second of three releases containing the French composer's complete symphonies.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra Announce 2007-08 Season

In his fifth and final season as Music Director, Christoph Eschenbach will conduct twelve weeks of concerts with The Philadelphia Orchestra. There will be a focus on monumental works such as Mahler's Eighth Symphony ("Symphony of a Thousand") - marking the end of a five-year-long Mahler cycle - and Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring'. Christoph Eschenbach will lead a Leonard Bernstein Festival to celebrate the late composer's 90th birthday. Jennifer Higdon, Marc-André Dalbavie and Wolfgang Rihm are among the composers whose works will be premièred in Philadelphia during the 2007-08 Season. Guest soloists performing with Christoph Eschenbach will include violinists Midori, Anne-Sophie Mutter and Vadim Repin, organist Thierry Escaich and soprano Marisol Montalvo, among others.

view image
more info

New Mahler Sixth with Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra Garners Accolades

Gustav Mahler's monumental Sixth Symphony is Ondine's third CD with Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra and was released internationally on October 3, 2006. A special bonus is the relatively unknown Piano Quartet, featuring members of The Philadelphia Orchestra with Christoph Eschenbach at the piano. This hybrid SACD has received excellent reviews, including a 10/10 rating both for Sound and for Artistic Quality by the online magazine ClassicsToday.com, as well as high praise from Gramophone Magazine (November 2006).

view image
more info

Christoph Eschenbach Leads The Philadelphia Orchestra's Opening of the 2006-07 Concert Season

On September 21st, 2006, Christoph Eschenbach will open The Philadelphia Orchestra's 107th concert season and his own fourth season as its Music Director with a gala concert. Piano superstar Lang Lang will be featured as soloist in Chopin's First Piano Concerto. The program will also include Mozart's Overture to The Marriage of Figaro and Tchaikovsky's Francesca da Rimini.

more info

Salle Pleyel Re-Opened with the 2006-07 Season's Opening Concert of the Orchestre de Paris

The Orchestre de Paris and its Music Director Christoph Eschenbach launched the 2006-07 concert season at the Salle Pleyel with concerts on September 13th and 14th marking the re-opening of the prestigious concert venue after four years of renovation. The Orchestre de Paris returned to its traditional home residency with symbolic performances of Mahler's Second Symphony ("Resurrection"), featuring soprano Simona Saturová, contralto Mihoko Fujimura, and the Choeur de l'Orchestre de Paris. On September 17th, a special Open House at the Salle Pleyel will feature a symphonic concert with the Orchestre de Paris accompanying Eschenbach protégé Erik Schumann, violin, as well as an open rehearsal and a chamber concert featuring members of the orchestra.

view image
more info

Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra Touring European Festivals

The Philadelphia Orchestra embarked on its first tour of European music festivals in a decade, with Christoph Eschenbach leading ten performances between August 24 and September 4. The concerts included works by Beethoven, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, and Matthias Pintscher. Soprano Marisol Montalvo joined the orchestra for Pintscher's 'Hérodiade-Fragments'; mezzo-soprano Mihoko Fujimura and tenor Nikolai Schukoff were the soloists for Mahler's 'Das Lied von der Erde'. The tour opened with a performance in Frankfurt's Alte Oper as part of the Rheingau Musik Festival, followed by three concerts at the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland and stops at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Hamburg, the Bonn Beethovenfest, and the Musikfest Berlin. The tour closed with two concerts at the BBC Proms in London.

view image
more info

Top Reviews for Zemlinsky CD with the Orchestre de Paris

Capriccio's recording of Alexander von Zemlinsky's 'Lyric Symphony', featuring two German star performers, soprano Christine Schäfer and baritone Matthias Goerne, accompanied by the Orchestre de Paris under the direction of Christoph Eschenbach, is garnering top reviews throughout the international press. In July 2006, it was chosen as 'Disc of the Month' in the BBC Music Magazine, as well as 'Editor's Choice' in The Gramophone.

view image
more info

Christoph Eschenbach Receives Prestigious Honor from French President

French President Jacques Chirac has awarded Christoph Eschenbach the title of Commander of the National Order of Merit, one of France's most prestigious honors. The award recognizes Mr. Eschenbach as "one of the great musicians of our time" and honors his "immense talent and devotion as head of the Orchestre de Paris." (To read the official speach in French, click on 'more info' below.) The National Order of Merit is one of two French national orders. The other - the Order of the Legion of Honor, which Napoleon created in 1802 - was presented to Mr. Eschenbach by President Chirac in January 2003.

view image
more info

Christoph Eschenbach Conducts The Metropolitan Orchestra in Japan

Christoph Eschenbach is leading The Metropolitan Opera's ensemble in three performances of Wagner's 'Die Walküre' as part of the MET's 2006 Tour of Japan. The production is staged by Otto Schenk, and the star cast includes Deborah Voigt, Plácido Domingo, René Pape, James Morris, Deborah Polaski, and Yvonne Naef. The first performance on June 12th in Nagoya will be followed by two others in Tokyo on June 15th and 18th. Christoph Eschenbach steps in for Music Director James Levine who was to lead the MET on its three-week tour, but recently had to cancel for health reasons.

New Roussel CD with Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris

Ondine Records has released a recording of Albert Roussel's Second Symphony, coupled with the popular ballet music to 'Bacchus et Ariane,' featuring Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris. "One of the greatest musical discoveries I've made in years," is how Christoph Eschenbach describes the rarely played Second Symphony. The CD immediately received the highest praise from The Guardian. In addition, the online magazine ClassicsToday.com wrote, "This is one disc that all lovers of French music, and great symphonies, simply must have." This recording is the first of three CDs featuring Roussel's Complete Symphonies, as well as the ballet 'Le Festin de l'araignée.'

view image
more info

New Tchaikovsky CD with The Philadelphia Orchestra

For their second recording together, Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra have recorded Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony. The hybrid SACD also includes the first six movements from Tchaikovsky's piano work 'The Seasons,' Christoph Eschenbach's first extensive solo piano recording in nearly thirty years. The first recording under the innovative partnership between The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ondine (Bartok/Martinu/
Klein - Ondine ODE 1072-5) has received numerous accolades throughout the international music press. The international release of the new disc took place on April 4th.

view image
more info

Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris Announce 2006-07 Season

Christoph Eschenbach's sixth season as Music Director of the Orchestre de Paris will be marked by the return of the Orchestra to its newly renovated home, the legendary Salle Pleyel. Another major event of the 2006-07 Season will be a production of Massenet's Opera 'Thais' at the Théâtre du Châtelet, featuring star soprano Renée Fleming. Among three world premieres will be a new work by 90-year-old French composer Henri Dutilleux. Mozart's 250th birthday will be celebrated with his late piano concertos, featuring Christoph Eschenbach and his protégé Christopher Tainton as soloists. Another focus will be on the 150th anniversary of Schumann's death. Guest soloists accompanied by Christoph Eschenbach will include soprano Barbara Bonney, baritone Matthias Goerne, pianist Tzimon Barto, violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, and cellist Danel Müller-Schott. In addition to a four-concert residency in Essen, Germany, the Orchestra will tour four European countries (Germany, The Netherlands, Luxemburg, and Spain).

view image
more info

Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra Announce 2006-07 Season

In the fourth year of their musical partnership, Christoph Eschenbach will conduct twelve weeks of concerts with The Philadelphia Orchestra. There will be focus on the 250th birthday of Mozart (including two piano concertos featuring Christoph Eschenbach as soloist and conductor) and on the 100th birthday of Dmitri Shostakovich. The Orchestra's 2006-07 Season also includes the world premiere of a new work by British composer Oliver Knussen. The continuation of a five-year-long Mahler cycle features the Second and Fourth Symphonies and 'Kindertotenlieder' along with vocal soloists Barbara Bonney, Yvonne Naef, Marisol Montalvo, and Thomas Quasthoff. Further guest soloists accompanied by Christoph Eschenbach will include pianists André Watts and Lang Lang, violinists Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Julia Fischer and Leonidas Kavakos, cellist Truls Mørk, as well as bass-baritone Matthias Goerne.

view image
more info

Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra's New CD Receives Top Reviews

The first CD release in the new recording partnership between Ondine and The Philadelphia Orchestra has received the highest accolades from the BBC Music Magazine where it was 'Disc of the Month' in January, as well as 'Editor's Choice' in January's The Gramophone. The BBC Music Magazine called the Bartók Concerto for Orchestra "the top choice" and referred to it as the "benchmark" recording of the work.

view image
more info

Ondine Releases First Recording of Christoph Eschenbach Conducting The Philadelphia Orchestra

The Finnish label Ondine has released the first ever recording featuring Christoph Eschenbach conducting The Philadelphia Orchestra. This CD is also the first release in a new groundbreaking partnership between Ondine and The Philadelphia Orchestra which calls for a minimum of three recordings per year, all under the direction of Music Director Christoph Eschenbach. All recordings are in SACD Surround Sound, playable on both CD and SACD players. The current release combines Béla Bartók's 'Concerto for Orchestra' with Bohuslav Martinu's 'Memorial to Lidice' and Gideon Klein's 'Partita for Strings'.

view image
more info

Wagner's 'Ring' Being Performed by the Orchestre de Paris and Christoph Eschenbach at the Châtelet Theater in Paris

Wagner's complete 'Ring' Cycle is being performed at the Châtelet Theater, marking the highlight in the Paris musical calendar between October 2005 and April 2006. Christoph Eschenbach is leading a star cast and the Orchestre de Paris in this much-awaited production. The 'Ring' is staged by Robert Wilson and based on a 2001-2002 Zurich Opera production, with all four operas being given in Paris six times each. In two performances of 'Die Walküre' in April 2006, Plácido Domingo will sing the role of Siegmund.

more info

Opening of the 2005-06 Season in Paris and Philadelphia

Within one week in September, Christoph Eschenbach will lead the 2005-06 Season's opening concerts of both the Orchestre de Paris and The Philadelphia Orchestra. On September 14th and 15th he will be in Paris, conducting Mahler's Fifth Symphony and Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto, with piano soloist Lang Lang. On September 21st, Christoph Eschenbach will conduct The Philadelphia Orchestra in its 2005-06 Season Opening Gala. The all-Beethoven program will include the First Symphony, the Third Leonore Overture, and the 'Emperor' Piano Concerto, featuring pianist André Watts as soloist.

Concerts in London and Lucerne with the Vienna Philharmonic

On September 8th, Christoph Eschenbach will lead the Vienna Philharmonic in a performance of Bruckner's Eighth Symphony at the Royal Albert Hall, as part of the BBC Proms in London. The same program will be heard three days later at the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland. Since the 2004 Salzburg Festival, Maestro Eschenbach has been a frequent guest with the Vienna Philharmonic. Following these concerts, his next appearance before the legendary ensemble will take place in Vienna for two concerts in April 2006.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach Leads the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra on Japanese Tour

Between July 28th and August 1st, Christoph Eschenbach will embark on a tour to Japan together with the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra of which he was appointed Principal Conductor in 2004. Joined by one of his discoveries, violinist Erik Schumann, he will be performing with the orchestra in Shizuoka (July 28th), Kobe (29th), Kanazawa (30th), and Tokyo (August 1st). The tour is the major event and high point of the Japanese focus at the 2005 Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.

more info

New CD Titled 'Luciano Berio - in memoriam' with Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris

For their third release on the Ondine label, Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris have recorded a CD in memoriam of Luciano Berio (1925-2003), including the world premiere recording of his final composition, 'Stanze'. The work was the result of a commission by the Orchestre de Paris and received its first performance in Paris under Christoph Eschenbach in January 2004, joined by baritone Dietrich Henschel and the French Army Chorus. In addition, Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris have recorded 'Rendering,' a composition that stems from the incomplete sketches for a Tenth Symphony by Franz Schubert. The international CD release will take place in July 2005.

view image
more info

The Philadelphia Orchestra Signs Groundbreaking Partnership Recording Agreement with Ondine

The Philadelphia Orchestra under Christoph Eschenbach has entered into a unique, groundbreaking recording partnership agreement with the Finnish label Ondine. The deal provides for three recordings per year. The Orchestra's first recording contract in ten years was one of Christoph Eschenbach's stated priorities when he assumed the position of Music Director of The Philadelphia Orchestra. To read the entire press release, click on 'more info' below. Further information can also be found on the web sites of Ondine Records and The Philadelphia Orchestra.

view image
more info

Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris Announce 2005-2006 Season

Christoph Eschenbach's fifth season as Music Director of the Orchestre de Paris will be marked by a major event in the Paris 2005-06 classical music calendar. His performance of the complete 'Ring' Cycle by Richard Wagner, staged by the legendary Robert Wilson, based on a 2001-02 Zurich Opera production, will take place at the Théâtre du Châtelet. Each of the four operas will be performed six times over the entire season. Star soloists include Peter Seiffert (four performances) and Plácido Domingo (two performances) as Siegmund in 'Die Walküre.' A concert version of 'Siegfried' is scheduled at the BBC Proms in July 2006. In addition, Christoph Eschenbach will also lead the Orchestre de Paris in symphonic concerts, conducting Mozart's Requiem, given in commemoration of the composer's 250th birthday in 2006, as well as concerts featuring pianist Lang Lang, violinist Gidon Kremer, and cellist Truls Mørk as soloists.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra Tour Asia in May and June

Together with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Christoph Eschenbach will embark on a tour of Asia between May 16th and June 8th, 2005. Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra will fly over 33,000 kilometres in 24 days, touring eight cities in three weeks, performing 15 concerts. Their itinerary will include concerts in Japan (Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyoto); Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur); Singapore; Hong Kong; Taiwan (Taipei); and Korea (Seoul). Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Lang Lang will join the Orchestra as soloists, as will the Orchestra's Concertmaster David Kim, and Principal Oboe Richard Woodhams. The music of Mahler will hold a prominent place in the tour repertoire with performances of the First, Fifth, and Ninth Symphonies.

view image
more info

Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris on Tour through Germany

Between February 4th and 7th, 2005, Music Director Christoph Eschenbach led the Orchestre de Paris on a tour through four major German cities (Cologne, Essen, Hanover and Hamburg). The program included Beethoven's Symphonies Nos. 2 and 5, as well as Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto performed by violinist Renaud Capuçon.

Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra Announce 2005-2006 Season

In the third year of their artistic partnership, Christoph Eschenbach will conduct eleven weeks of concerts with The Philadelphia Orchestra. Featuring a season-long focus on Beethoven, all nine Beethoven symphonies will be performed and paired with specifically commissioned works and contemporary pieces by Kellogg, Higdon, Sheng, Dutilleux and Lindberg. The orchestra's 2005-2006 Season also includes the continuation of a five-year-long Mahler cycle, performances with debut artists as cellist Dimitri Maslennikov, and a three-week tour of Europe's major summer festivals in August 2006.

view image
more info

Orchestre de Paris Embarks on Major Chinese Tour Together with Christoph Eschenbach

From October 28th until November 7th, 2004, the Orchestre de Paris undertook its first ever tour of China, led by Christoph Eschenbach who conducted concerts in Beijing (October 28th and 30th), Shanghai (November 1st and 2nd), Guangzhou (November 4th and 5th) and Hong Kong (November 7th). The tour had been organized in connection with the 10-month long 'Year of France in China,' commonly inaugurated in October 2004 by Presidents Jacques Chirac of France and Hu Jintao of China, in order to promote cultural and economic exchange between the two countries. For more information, in French, click below.

view image
more info

New All-Ravel CD to Be Released in Late 2004 / Early 2005

For the second release on the Ondine label, Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris have recorded an all-Ravel CD featuring a relatively unknown orchestra transcription by Marius Constant of the piano work 'Gaspard de la Nuit,' coupled with the poems by Aloysius Bertrand recited by the great French actress Carole Bouquet. The CD also includes the original piano version of the 'Ondine' movement, performed by Tzimon Barto. This international release in early 2005 will also celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the leading Finnish label Ondine. The release date for Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands will be November 4th, 2004, with major articles in the French press scheduled at the same time.

view image
more info

Carnegie Hall Opening Night Gala 2004 with The Philadelphia Orchestra under Christoph Eschenbach, with Soloists Renée Fleming and Yo-Yo Ma Broadcast Nationally in the USA on October 27th on PBS

On October 6th, 2004, Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra launched Carnegie Hall's 2004-2005 concert season together with soprano Renée Fleming and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, performing an all-Richard Strauss program. This event was broadcast on October 27th on the American public TV network PBS as part of its 'Great Performances' series.

view image
more info

Orchestre de Paris - Opening of the 2004-2005 Season

The Orchestre de Paris and its Music Director Christoph Eschenbach launched the 2004-2005 concert season performing Berio's Rendering, a work based on sketches for an unfinished tenth symphony by Schubert, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. The program which also featured the Choeur de l'Orchestre de Paris and four vocal soloists was given on two evenings, September 29th and 30th.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach Leads The Philadelphia Orchestra in Gala Concert, Opening His Second Season with the Orchestra

On September 21st, 2004, Christoph Eschenbach opened The Philadelphia Orchestra's 105th concert season and his own second season as its Music Director with a gala concert that was simultaneously broadcast for the public outside The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The orchestra and Maestro Eschenbach were joined by the great American soprano Renée Fleming who performed the Four Last Songs by Richard Strauss. The program also included the Prelude to Act III of Wagner's 'Lohengrin' and Dvorak's Symphony No. 8.

view image
more info

Christoph Eschenbach Leads His Debut at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Conducting 'Don Giovanni' with an All-Star Cast for the Golden Jubilee Season's Gala Opening Night

On September 18th, 2004, Christoph Eschenbach made his conducting debut at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, opening its 50th anniversary season with the premiere of a new production of Mozart's 'Don Giovanni.' The production marks the US debut for the legendary German stage director Peter Stein, and its cast includes such renowned singers as Bryn Terfel as Don Giovanni, Karita Mattila as Donna Anna and Susan Graham as Donna Elvira. Eight additional performances under Maestro Eschenbach's baton will be given through the middle of October.

view image

Chinese, Japanese and Korean Versions of www.christoph-
eschenbach.com now available in Flash

Christoph Eschenbach's personal web site continues to develop. Since September 15th, 2004, three major Asian languages are available in Flash in addition to the already existing HTML versions, allowing our large online community in these countries and elsewhere to enjoy all the advantages that Flash has to offer.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach Conducts His Final Concerts As the Chief Conductor of the NDR Symphony Orchestra in Hamburg

Two concerts on June 20th and 21st at Hamburg's Musikhalle will mark the end of a very fruitful six-year relationship between the NDR Symphony Orchestra and its seventh chief conductor Christoph Eschenbach. Conducting Beethoven's 9th Symphony and Dutilleux's 'The Shadows of Time' in this season's final concerts, Maestro Eschenbach will bring to a close an era in which he featured major classical and romantic works and championed great contemporary music. In addition to his current engagements as music director in Paris and Philadelphia, he will return to Hamburg as a guest conductor for six concerts in the 2004-2005 Season.

Christoph Eschenbach Leads The Philadelphia Orchestra's 2004 European Tour - His First with Philadelphia

Between May 10th and 30th, 2004 Christoph Eschenbach will lead The Philadelphia Orchestra on its first European tour together with him. The three-week tour encompasses 14 concerts in ten cities across eight countries.

more info

Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris Announce 2004-2005 Season

The Orchestre de Paris' 2004-2005 Season features three main events: Firstly, a complete Beethoven Symphony cycle to be led by Christoph Eschenbach and several guest conductors. In addition, the orchestra together with Christoph Eschenbach will present a Brahms Festival performing all symphonies, concertos, and the German Requiem. Another cycle pays tribute to Mendelssohn the symphonist.

more info

Top Review in France's Telerama Magazine for New Bruckner CD Release

In the issue No. 2827 of March 20th, 2004, the prestigious French weekly cultural magazine Telerama has decerned its "ffff" note (highest rating) for Maestro Eschenbach's recording of Bruckner's Fourth Symphony with the Orchestre de Paris, released by Ondine.

view image
more info

Christoph Eschenbach and The Philadelphia Orchestra Announce 2004-2005 Season

The Philadelphia Orchestra's 2004-2005 Season includes a 'Late Great Works Festival' which celebrates the late works of Mozart, Strauss, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, and Berio and also explores the Czech Republic's musical heritage, marking this year's centennial of Dvorak's death in 1904. In addition, Christoph Eschenbach will lead The Philadelphia Orchestra on its 2005 tour of Asia at the close of the subscription season.

view image
more info

First CD Release between Christoph Eschenbach, the Orchestre de Paris and the Finnish Label Ondine

In Spring 2004, the first CD marking the collaboration between the Finnish label Ondine, Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris will be available internationally. It is a live recording of a critically acclaimed performance of Bruckner's Fourth Symphony from February 2003.

view image
more info

Mahler Festival Launches Philadelphia Orchestra's First Complete Cycle of Mahler's Symphonies

From February 18th through March 13th, 2004, Christoph Eschenbach leads four weeks of Orchestra concerts and special events entitled 'Mahler's World.' With this festival he launches The Philadelphia Orchestra's first-ever Mahler cycle that spans five consecutive seasons and encompasses performances of Mahler's complete symphonies through the 2008 season.

Christoph Eschenbach Attends the Marian Anderson Award Gala and Meets Award Winner Oprah Winfrey

While in Philadelphia to bring together artists from The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Orchestre de Paris for a Chamber Music Concert during the Orchestre de Paris' performances in the United States, Christoph Eschenbach also attended the Marian Anderson Award Gala on November 18th, 2003 where he joined this year's award winner, Oprah Winfrey, and her guests to attend a special Philadelphia Orchestra concert.

view image

Christoph Eschenbach Completes Major Chinese Tour with the NDR Symphony Orchestra

Between November 1st and 7th, Christoph Eschenbach led the NDR Symphony Orchestra on a triumphant tour through China, giving concerts in Macau, Taipei, Taichung, Beijing and Shanghai. The tour received major attention from the press and television and the concert in Beijing was hailed by the press as the highpoint on Beijing's 2003 musical calendar. Chinese journalists were very impressed by the fact that Maestro Eschenbach has a web site in Chinese and they reported extensively on this in the media. For more information, in German, click below.

view image

The Philadelphia Orchestra Announces Endowment Campaign and Historic Gift

The Philadelphia Orchestra has launched the public phase of a five-year, $125 million endowment campaign with the announcement of an historic $50 million grant from the Annenberg Foundation.

view image
more info

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Gala Opening Night Concert

Christoph Eschenbach's opening night concert as the seventh Music Director of The Philadelphia Orchestra with guest Yo-Yo Ma took place on Wednesday, September 17th, 2003, at 8:30 P.M. in Philadelphia, USA at the Kimmel Center, Verizon Hall.

view image
more info

The Orchestre de Paris and Christoph Eschenbach Sign Recording Agreement with Ondine

The leading Finnish classical label Ondine has signed a recording agreement with the Orchestre de Paris and Christoph Eschenbach on September 1st to release recordings made by the Orchestre de Paris under Maestro Eschenbach. The first release is scheduled for February 2004 and will be a recording of Bruckner's Fourth Symphony.

view image
more info