Kirill Petrenko in conversation with Olaf Maninger (7 min.)

In this interview, chief conductor Kirill Petrenko describes the Berliner Philharmoniker’s 2020 European Concert as an event that none of the participants will ever forget. Due to the corona crisis, the concert could not take place in Tel Aviv as planned, but was performed in the Philharmonie as a chamber music ensemble and without an audience. Parts of the programme were altered; Gustav Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, also scheduled for the performance in Israel, was performed in a version for 15 musicians. In an interview with Olaf Maninger, principal cellist and media representative of the Philharmoniker, Kirill Petrenko explains why he chose works by Arvo Pärt, György Ligeti and Samuel Barber for this special occasion. He also stresses the importance he attaches to communication with the audience in a situation in which people are forced into spatial isolation, and the central importance of the international character of the European Concert especially in times of crisis.