The Vienna Philharmonic Receives Storming Applause in Dresden

The Vienna Philharmonic received a standing ovation during a guest performance as part of the expanded program of the Dresden Music Festival at the Kulturpalast in Dresden. The musicians from the city on the Danube performed works by Antonín Dvořák and Sergei Prokofiev under the baton of Russian conductor Tugan Sokhiev. The real highlight, however, was provided by American violinist Hilary Hahn, who performed Dvořák’s Violin Concerto with technical brilliance and great warmth, prompting the audience to cheer for several minutes.

A Polka to Close the Show

In the second half of the program, the Viennese performed excerpts from the ballet music for “Romeo and Juliet” by Sergei Prokofiev, showcasing solo performances across all instrumental sections. After Hilary Hahn—who is regarded in the classical music world as a star without airs and graces—had already treated the audience to two encores, the Vienna Philharmonic followed up with a polka by Johann Strauss as the “grand finale.”

The “Lightness of Being” edition of the Dresden Music Festival comes to a close

This year’s Dresden Music Festival was held under the theme “Lightness of Being” and took place in May and June. However, the renowned festival regularly reaches out to its fans at other times of the year with “Zwischentöne.” After performances at the Lucerne Festival, in Hamburg, and Berlin, the Vienna Philharmonic made a stop in Dresden on their return journey. A concert in Prague follows on Saturday, and on Sunday they will be back for a “home game” in Vienna. 

Dresden Music Festival Guest Performance at the Lucerne Festival

The Dresden Music Festival, on the other hand, made a guest appearance at the Lucerne Festival on Thursday with its Wagner project. The final part of Richard Wagner’s *Der Ring des Nibelungen* was performed by the festival orchestra and Concerto Köln, conducted by Kent Nagano, on period instruments and in the vocal and spoken styles of Wagner’s time. The “Ring” is intended to sound as it did when audiences first heard it. “Paris” is on the program for Sunday. In May 2027, the entire “historical ‘Ring’” will be performed in Vienna.