One of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras coming to Zagreb after 80 years

Berliner Philharmoniker (Photo credit: Andreas Praefcke/Public Domain)

One of the greatest symphony orchestras in the history of music, Berliner Philharmoniker (Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra), is coming to Zagreb to perform after 80 years.

The Berliner Philharmoniker played in today’s Croatian National Theatre (HNK) in Zagreb in 1941 under the direction of Hans Knappertsbusch and Lovro pl. Matačić, and their last performance in Zagreb was in 1943 under the direction of Hermann Abendroth.

The German orchestra, based in Berlin, will perform at Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb on February 19, 2022, in the year of celebrating the 140th anniversary of the existence of this world-famous orchestra.

The Berlin Philharmonic was founded in Berlin in 1882 by 54 musicians under the name Frühere Bilsesche Kapelle and gained international prestige as early as 1887 under the direction of conductor, composer and pianist Hans von Bülow, as well as guest conductors in that period: Hans Richter, Richard Strauss, and Gustav Mahler.

Some of the other great conductors who have conducted the orchestra throughout its long history include Herbert von Karajan, with whom the orchestra played at the 1968 Dubrovnik Summer Festival, and conductor greats such as Claudio Abbado and Sir Simon Rattle.

In 2015, Kirill Petrenko was elected artistic director and chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker, and he will conduct the orchestra at the Zagreb concert next month.

More details about the concert and how to purchase tickets can be found on the website of the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall HERE