James Patterson

There are some collaborations that immediately feel alive, and this is one of them. Having Janine Jansen is always special. She brings a kind of intensity and honesty that changes the atmosphere in the room the moment she plays. And with Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla returning for the second time in the season, (first being the season opening and the Proms) it ensures an exciting and memorable night. The program moves through different kinds of vastness and introspection—from the inward world of Dmitri Shostakovich, to the vast shifting waves of Claude Debussys La Mer and Benjamin Brittens Four Sea Interludes, what ties everything together is a feeling of constant change, like something being shaped in real time.

Concerts with Simone Young have a way of feeling both grounded and electric. She always brings knowledge and clarity to her interpretation, while still allowing the orchestra freedom and space. That combination creates a very special atmosphere.

With Maria Bengtsson and Wolfgang Koch as soloists, this program turns toward music that feels deeply human in scale, shaped around transformation, memory, and release. Richard Strauss' Tod und Verklärung is both intimate and broad, filled with moments of striking beauty. Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony feels constantly searching, as if always leaning toward something just out of reach. Together, these works create an evening that doesn’t aim for spectacle, but for something more inward and lasting.