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Tarmo Peltokoski searches in vain for the harsh brutality in Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony with the Rotterdam Philharmonic. 

Truls Mørk joins Tarmo Peltokoski and the Rotterdam Phil for a deeply emotional reading of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto no. 2. 

Musical connections between Brahms, Dvořák and Price as Randall Goosby joins the Rotterdam Philharmonic – both as soloist and orchestral member. 

Soaring choral music precedes the arrival of Martha Argerich for a daredevil account of Shostakovich's First Piano Concerto with RPhO Principal Trumpet, Alex Elia. 

Lahav Shani gives the players of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra their moment to shine in Strauss' demanding Ein Heldenleben. 

Whether one considers Messiah to be really appropriate for Christmas, it always a welcome gift for the Handel aficionado, and this performance from Rotterdam, while suffering some unfortunate cuts, is an otherwise solid musical offering.

Leonidas Kavakos puts down his bow and picks up the baton to conduct the Rotterdam Philharmonic in Ligeti and Dvořák. 

Orchestra and singers reached great heights in this highly lyrical and dramatically flowing Frau ohne Schatten conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

A Russian double bill from the Rotterdam Philharmonic in their own turf under Stanislav Kochanovsky.

The Rotterdam Philharmonic marked their centenary with two concerts starring mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato. A bittersweet weekend, during which they also took leave of their beloved principal conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

Shostakovich proves the highlight of a variable programme in Rotterdam. 

A party you never thought you'd attend with dance and acrobatics to live music is a worthy celebration of 70 years of Scapino Ballet 

A bowler hat, two pierrots, a dreamy band, ravens and dancing through the audience make for a great tease of what's to come with Scapino Ballet 

Besides Giltburg’s superlative play in Grieg, Saraste’s Sibelius swept you off your feet. 

With exceptional nuance, lead flautist Juliette Hurel demonstrated her Olympian skills in Bruno Mantovani's technically exhausting, often violent work. With the flute in mind, Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s wildly upbeat Bruckner’s Eighth Symphony in C-minor ‘Titan’ made for new discoveries in Bruckner.

Philippe Herreweghe deftly coordinated the four vocalists, the Rotterdam Philharmonic, and his Collegium Vocale Gent through Beethoven’s challenging score.

Impressively, Principal Conductor Nézet-Séguin matched his predecessor, Valery Gergiev, with such high quality Russian repertoire. 

In Rotterdam, Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts a gracefully contoured Beethoven Sixth Symphony and, together with fabulous vocal and instrumental soloists, reaches core-deep into Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde.

Annemarie Kremer is a strong-willed, dramatically voiced Butterfly in Laurence Dale’s sensitive production.

In an exciting programme of Prokofiev, Penderecki and Lutoslawski, two musicians debuted with the Rotterdam Philharmonic. Both impressed greatly.

The final orchestral performance of this year’s Gergiev festival saw the city of Rotterdam play host to St. Peterburg’s Mariinsky Orchestra.

The second evening of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Gergiev Festival offered an interesting programme dynamically conducted by the Russian master. The theme this year was The Great War. 

Conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin invokes an unattainable glimpse of heaven in a uniquely crafted Verdi Requiem. 

Brahms’ only song cycle, Die schöne Magelone, gets star treatment from baritone Michael Volle, pianist Helmut Deutsch and narrator Thomas Quasthoff at the Doelen in Rotterdam.

Scapino Ballet present an entertaining evening in The Great Bean, from modern street-inspired dance to mesmerizing dreamy vistas, and finally a 1920's spectacle. At Rotterdam Schouwburg. 

Aaron Copland was one of the most important American composers of the last century. The inclusion of his Clarinet Concerto and Dvořák’s Symphony no. 9 made this program one inspired by the US. The theme of this year’s Rotterdam Philharmonic Gergiev Festival, Sea & You, of course suits this beautifully – after all, we hear the skyscrapers coming up from the sea in Dvořák’s symphony.

Rachmaninov’s symphonic poem The Isle of the Dead is an intense piece of music. Inspired by a painting by Böcklin, Rachmaninov tells us of the journey to the underworld. The first moments of the piece are crucial to any performance, and Valery Gergiev lead the Rotterdam Philharmonic into a heavy and emotionally laden rendition.

Classical music is often portayed as being very serious, which is part of what makes it seem inaccessible at times. But this is a mistake: there are plenty of pieces that are, in a word, fun.

Stravinsky’s Scherzo Fantastique, Op. 3 is one of his earliest works, as its opus number would suggest. There are very few composers who can truly create a fairytale atmosphere in their music, but Stravinsky was one of the best at it.

Ravel is one of those composers who seem to slip through the cracks sometimes. I myself am guilty of letting this happen – I know that I like Ravel’s music but often forget how magical it really is. After tonight’s concert, however, I am sure that I’ll never forget this again.

The last concert in Rotterdam Philharmonic’s “Russian Fall” series centered around one of the most monumental Russian symphonies ever written: Shostakovich’s Fourth. But the evening opened with something completely different: Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no. 2.

In memory of violist Coen van der Heide who passed away earlier in October, the Rotterdam Philharmonic opened with the second part of Antonín Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings, which was deeply moving and followed by a minute of silence. Ottorino Respighi’s Fontana di Roma was the first piece on the official program.

This fall the Rotterdam Philharmonic have a series of concerts under the title of “Russische Herfst” (“Russian Autumn”) – with music from some of the great Russian composers such as Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev and Shostakovich.

Rotterdam’s annual Gergiev Festival is a very popular classical festival in The Netherlands and with good reason, their programs are always excellent and the appearance of former chief conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Valery Gergiev usually attracts big crowds.

In commemoration of the bombing of Rotterdam on May 14 1940, Rotterdam’s concert venue De Doelen organized a very special program consisting of Benjamin Britten’s “War Requiem”.

Die Klaviervirtuosin und der junge finnische Dirigentin werden den hohen Erwartungen des Abends leider nicht gerecht.

Was das Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest an diesem Abend unter seinem Ehrendirigenten Valery Gergiev hören ließ, war ein Konzert der Extraklasse.

Bemerkenswerte Hörerlebnisse in Rotterdam: Nicolas Altstaedt macht das Cellokonzert von Salonen zu einem fast virtuellen Erlebnis.

Lawrence Power erzählt in James MacMillans Bratschenkonzert mit vielfältig gefärbten Tönen tausendundeine Geschichten.

Das Rotterdams Philharomisch Orkest spielte unter Valerie Gergiev bravourös Gustav Mahlers Siebente Symphonie und Timbres von Henri Dutilleux.

Das Philharmonische Orchester Rotterdam spielte unter Leitung des Dirigenten Robert Trevino Werke von Ligeti, Barber und Adams . Ein entfesseltes Orchester entließ am Ende sein Publikum verwundert und überwältigt.

Aufgrund einer Handgelenksverletzung übernahm Olari Elts kurzfristig das Dirigat von Yannick Nézet-Séguin – Messiaens Musik tat dies aber keinen Abbruch.

Die Rotterdamer Philharmoniker unter Yannick Nézet-Séguin eröffneten ihre Konzertsaison mit Janine Jansen und einem beeindruckenden Abend mit Britten und Beethoven.