Programme

You can always count on family and friends. The composers of the Klassik Open Air 2026 share this view and express their gratitude by dedicating pieces to their loved ones or by capturing their personalities musically in their compositions. In the usual summery atmosphere, the Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg, under the baton of its General Music Director Roland Böer and accompanied by the up-and-coming pianist Lukáš Vondráček, will perform Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2, as well as works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Edvard Grieg, Claude Debussy, and Edward Elgar in the Luitpoldhain. A celebration for friends and family!

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In 2025, the partnership agreement between the cities of Nuremberg and Prague celebrates its 35th anniversary. Many composers have drawn inspiration from the “Golden City” of Prague – first and foremost the Czech national composers Antonín Dvořák and Bedřich Smetana, who created vivid musical portraits of their homeland. Bohemian-born Gustav Mahler and Moravian-born Erich Wolfgang Korngold also composed deeply moving works. Together with violinist Carolin Widmann, the Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg under the direction of its General Music Director Roland Böer, will transport the Luitpoldhain back to the “Golden Times”.

Roland Böer has been General Music Director of the Staatstheater Nürnberg and Chief Conductor of the Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg since the 2023/24 season. He has made guest appearances at leading international opera houses such as Teatro alla Scala, the Royal Opera House and English National Opera London, as well as Deutsche Oper and Komische Oper Berlin. As a concert conductor, he has led renowned orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Deutsche Radiophilharmonie. From 2002 to 2008, he was Kapellmeister at Frankfurt Opera. From 2009, he conducted the "Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte di Montepulciano" festival for twelve years and was Principal Guest Conductor of the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg until 2019. He has made recordings with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Bamberger Symphoniker, among others. Roland Böer was honoured by the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester with the Congregation Award RNCM Fellow and is an honorary citizen of the city of Montepulciano.

Lukáš Vondráček has been performing on stage since the age of four—and the acclaimed pianist has since achieved worldwide fame. Concert tours have taken him to the world’s greatest venues, where he has collaborated with renowned orchestras such as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. He is also a sought-after guest in Germany, performing with ensembles such as the Dresden Philharmonic and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. He gained international attention by winning the 2016 Queen Elisabeth Competition, one of the world’s most prestigious piano competitions. Numerous other awards underscore his extraordinary artistic career, such as first prize at the San Marino International Piano Competition and the Unisa International Piano Competition in South Africa. This year, he will perform for the first time at the Klassik Open Air in Nuremberg.

The Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg is the largest orchestra in the metropolitan region and the second-largest opera and concert orchestra in Bavaria. Since the 2023/24 season, Roland Böer has led the orchestra as General Music Director. Previous General Music Directors include Marcus Bosch and Joana Mallwitz. Each year, the orchestra presents around 150 opera and ballet performances, as well as its own concert series at the Meistersingerhalle, complemented by special projects such as New Year’s concerts and the “Dreiklang” series. The orchestra’s history dates back to 1377, but it was officially founded in 1922 as the “Nürnberger Philharmoniker.” In 2012, the orchestra was renamed “Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg” and an orchestra academy was established. For its 100th anniversary in 2022, the State Theatre founded the “Junge Staatsphilharmonie” on the initiative of Joana Mallwitz. Concerts and opera performances are regularly broadcast by BR-Klassik and Deutschlandradio Kultur.

Roland Kunz has been working in journalism and radio presenting for over 40 years. Known for his program “Musik für Junge Ohren”, he passionately strives to inspire young people with classical music with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie. He also leads the SR podcast “Interpretationssache” nominated for the German and European Radio Awards, in which he relates different cover versions of well-known songs as well as classical works. His entertaining way of conveying music has been recognized with multiple awards. His broad expertise as a musician and composer enriches his journalistic work and gives his presentations a unique depth and authenticity.