The Staatskapelle Dresden Celebrates the End of the Season

The Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden bid farewell to its audience with a program full of fairy-tale charm and dance-like energy as it heads into its summer break—at least as far as symphony concerts are concerned. In the finale, the “Kapelle”—as it is called by its fans—proved to be in top form under the baton of Elim Chan. 

The 39-year-old conductor, who hails from Hong Kong and is the designated music director of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, delivered an outstanding interpretation of Sergei Prokofiev’s ballet music “Romeo and Juliet.” There was plenty of applause—including for the solo performances by individual orchestra members.

Goethe’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and “Alice in Wonderland” set to music

Earlier, Chan and the Staatskapelle had performed two pieces that are rarely on the program. Paul Dukas (1865–1935) had once adapted Goethe’s poem “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” into a symphonic poem.

This was followed by a work by Unsuk Chin. The South Korean composer held the title of “Capell-Compositrice” this season, which allowed her to present her work to the Dresden audience. At the season finale, “Puzzle and Games” from her opera “Alice in Wonderland” was performed. Australian soprano Siobhan Stagg made it a memorable experience with her crystal-clear voice and commanding stage presence.

The orchestra’s concerts were nearly sold out

This marks the end of a successful season for the Staatskapelle Dresden—including its international engagements. According to the orchestra’s own figures, 58,000 music fans attended the orchestra’s concerts during its tours. These tours took the Saxon ensemble to European music hubs such as Milan, Prague, Vienna, and Paris, as well as to China and South Korea. 

In total, the orchestra performed 71 symphony, special, chamber, and children’s concerts, in addition to 209 opera and ballet performances in Dresden. According to statistics, capacity utilization stood at 95.6 percent.

On Monday and Tuesday, the final concert program will be repeated. Another performance evening will follow this coming Thursday, after which the orchestra will take its summer break.