Programme

A classical open air in symphonic widescreen sound - under the motto " Alle Wege führen nach Hollywood", the Nürnberger Symphoniker and their chief conductor Jonathan Darlington present a concentrated load of powerful pieces that were written for films of the dream factory or point to the opulent musical Hollywood style. With composers such as Korngold, James Horner and John Williams, big names of the genre are on the programme. The programme also features two star soloists whose breathtaking artistry will have audiences everywhere in raptures: multi-percussionist Alexej Gerassimez on drums and accordion virtuoso Martynas Levickis, a world champion on his instrument, which he himself describes as 'his magic bag of tricks'.

Jonathan Darlington, born in Great Britain, has been Chief Conductor of the Nürnberger Symphoniker since September 2022. He was previously Music Director of Vancouver Opera for almost 20 years and General Music Director of the Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra (2002-2011). Darlington is known for his perfectly structured concert programmes that take the audience on musical journeys. He has conducted renowned ensembles such as the Vienna Philharmonic, the Staatskapelle Dresden and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Current highlights include concerts with the Orchestra of the 18th Century, a new production of "Die Zauberflöte" at the Leipzig Opera and the world premiere of Detlev Glanert's opera "Die Jüdin von Toledo" at the Semperoper Dresden. Darlington is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in London and recipient of the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres for his services to French culture.

The Nürnberger Symphoniker have been inspiring audiences with their artistic quality and stylistic range since 1946. Around 200,000 people attend their 100 or so performances each season. At the symphonic concerts in the Meistersingerhalle, the focus is on classical-romantic repertoire, while in the orchestra's own music hall they present cross-genre projects from pop, jazz, film and literature. Advent concerts, the music summer in the Serenadenhof and the Klassik Open Air offer a variety of musical experiences. Getting young people interested in classical music with age-appropriate and interactive projects is a particular concern of the symphony orchestra. The spearhead of this strategy is U-TURN | das Orchestival, a new format that combines digital video art, light installations and hands-on elements. In addition, projects with schoolchildren (Symphoniker im Klassenzimmer), concerts for people with dementia and a chamber music tour of Nuremberg's museums round off the programme.

Roland Kunz has been working in journalism and radio presenting for over 30 years. Known for his format "Music for Young Ears", he presents classical music with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie. He also runs the SR podcast "Interpretationssache", which was nominated for the "Deutscher Radiopreis" and in which he puts different musical interpretations in relation to each other.
His entertaining way of communicating music has been honoured several times. His broad expertise as a musician enriches his journalistic work and gives his moderations a unique depth and authenticity.