Yamada, Leenaars, Jurowski & Doyle – Concerts by Our Principal Conductors 2026

4 Ensembles, 4 Principal Conductors – a wealth of fantastic concerts filled with classical music at impressive venues in Berlin and around the world. Experience an unforgettable concert evening with one of our four ensembles – the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, the Rundfunkchor Berlin, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, or the RIAS Kammerchor Berlin – and let yourself be enchanted by classical music!

Concerts by our four principal conductors

13 Sep Sunday, 20:00 Philharmonie Berlin Tickets

Daniel Richter The Funky Judge 1996 | Öl und Lack auf Leinwand | 175 x 135 cm

Season opening at Musikfest Berlin

Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester BerlinRundfunkchor Berlin Denissow, Vieru, Rachmaninoff

The Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin kicks off its season with the resounding sound of bells! Rachmaninoff’s deeply personal choral poem “The Bells” resounds through the Philharmonie. Rarely performed, it will be presented this evening with a magnificent ensemble and the Berlin Radio Choir. At the podium is principal conductor Vladimir Jurowski, one of Europe’s most distinguished conductors.

Rachmaninoff Choir Concert Symphony Concert Vladimir Jurowski

23 Sep Wednesday, 20:00 Philharmonie Berlin Tickets verfügbar

Trost und Hoffnung

RIAS Kammerchor BerlinDeutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin Duruflé, Schnittke

Two requiems, worlds apart: Duruflé’s setting offers comfort – Gregorian melodies, impressionistic harmonies, no “Day of Wrath.” Schnittke, on the other hand, had to hide his Requiem in Moscow in 1975 – as stage music for Schiller’s Don Carlos. Its instrumentation reflects this: brass, organ, electric guitar, no string instruments. The RIAS Kammerchor Berlin and the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin will perform both works at the conclusion of the Musikfest Berlin at the Philharmonie.

Choir Concert Justin Doyle

4 Oct Sunday, 20:00 Philharmonie Berlin, Main Hall Tickets available

Inauguration Concert Kazuki Yamada

Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin Speech, Ives, Grieg, Clyne, Debussy

Kazuki Yamada arrives! The new chief conductor of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin kicks off his tenure with a program exploring nature and the big questions – from Ives’s philosophical "Unanswered Question" and Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, featuring Alice Sara Ott, to the German premiere of Anna Clyne’s "Woman of the Mountain." The evening concludes with Debussy’s "La mer": For its cover, Debussy chose Hokusai’s "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" – the place where Yamada hails from. Maja Göpel will open the evening with a speech.

Kazuki Yamada Symphony Concert Piano Concert

22 Oct Thursday, 19:30 Heimathafen Neukölln Tickets available

RundfunkchorLounge 26/27 »Clean Water and Dirty Business«

Rundfunkchor Berlin

For many people, water is not something to be taken for granted – more than 800 million people worldwide lack access to clean drinking water. At Heimathafen Neukölln, the RundfunkchorLounge explores how business and politics deal with this resource through discussions with experts and choral music. Afterward, you can wind down the evening at the bar with some relaxing lounge music.

Chamber Music Concert Gijs Leenaars

13 Nov Friday, 20:00 Gethsemanekirche Tickets verfügbar

Über Brücken

RIAS Kammerchor Berlin Rautavaara, Thorvaldsdottir, Sandström

The RIAS Kammerchor Berlin is building a musical bridge between Finland, Estonia, Iceland, and Sweden. At the Gethsemanekirche in Prenzlauer Berg, choral music from Northern Europe will be performed – including works by Veljo Tormis, whose music is inextricably linked to the Singing Revolution in Estonia. Principal conductor Justin Doyle will lead the concert.

Choir Concert Justin Doyle

15 Nov Sunday, 20:00 Philharmonie Berlin Tickets

Vladimir Jurowski & Kirill Gerstein

Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester BerlinRundfunkchor Berlin Rebel, Adès, Adams

Vladimir Jurowski Symphony Concert Choir Concert

26 Nov Thursday, 19:00 Haus des Rundfunks Registration

Moderated rehearsal with Vladimir Jurowski

Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin Strauss

Vladimir Jurowski Richard Strauss Symphony Concert

29 Nov Sunday, 20:00 Konzerthaus Berlin Tickets

Daniel Richter Die Aufklärung 2005 Öl auf Leinwand 220 x 170cm

Vladimir Jurowski & Maria Ioudenitch

Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin Abazari, Bernstein, Strauss

Despite challenging circumstances, Iranian composer Sara Abazari has composed a new orchestral work for the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. Principal conductor Vladimir Jurowski will premiere it at the Konzerthaus Berlin. It will be paired with Leonard Bernstein’s Serenade based on Plato’s “Symposium,” a celebration of love, performed by Maria Ioudenitch – a three-time competition winner in 2021 and one of the most fascinating young virtuosos of our time. The evening concludes with Strauss’s “Thus Spoke Zarathustra,” whose opening fanfare ranks among the most famous sounds in music history.

Vladimir Jurowski Richard Strauss Symphony Concert

5 Dec Saturday, 18:00 Berliner Dom Link to the organizer

A Ceremony of Carols

Britten

The RIAS Kammerchor Berlin kicks off the Christmas season with Benjamin Britten’s "A Boy Was Born" and his best-known choral work, "A Ceremony of Carols." Principal conductor Justin Doyle will lead the performance at Berlin Cathedral – where Britten’s Christmas music meets the magnificent acoustics of one of the city’s most impressive cathedrals.

Christmas Concert Choir Concert Justin Doyle

20 Dec Sunday, 20:00 Philharmonie Berlin, Main Hall Tickets available

Kazuki Yamada

Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin Saariaho, Bach, Bruckner

Kazuki Yamada Bach Bruckner Symphony Concert

Our four principal conductors

Four extraordinary people leading four extraordinary ensembles: Vladimir Jurowski, Gijs Leenaars, Justin Doyle, and Robin Ticciati.

Vladimir Jurowski – Principal Conductor of the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin

Since 2017, Vladimir Jurowski has been the principal conductor and artistic director of the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra (RSB). In addition to his work with the RSB, he conducts concerts for some of the most prestigious orchestras in Europe and North America.

Gijs Leenaars – Principal Conductor of the Rundfunkchor Berlin

The Dutch conductor Gijs Leenaars has led the Berlin Radio Choir since the 2015/16 season. He is particularly dedicated to the performance of contemporary music, blending well-known classical choral works with less frequently performed pieces from modern choral literature.

Kazuki Yamada – Principal Conductor of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin

Kazuki Yamada will make his debut as Chief Conductor of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin in 2026, taking over from Robin Ticciati, who led the DSO until 2024. He is a regular guest conductor with various major European orchestras.

Justin Doyle – Principal Conductor of the RIAS Kammerchor Berlin

Since 2017, British-born Justin Doyle has served as the principal conductor and artistic director of the RIAS Kammerchor Berlin. In addition to his work as a choral conductor, Doyle also leads orchestras and conducts operas, with a particular focus on performances of works by Mozart, Britten, and Haydn.

Our four principal conductors lead their ensembles in numerous concert evenings at the Philharmonie Berlin, the Konzerthaus Berlin, and many other outstanding concert venues in Berlin and various locations across Germany, Europe, and the world.