CrossOver – Special Formats: Concerts with a Difference …

Whether it’s an electrifying poetry slam, epic film music or pulsating club beats, this series brings a breath of fresh air to the concert programme. Book all three events together and get the third ticket half price – or even free! More information…

»Slam Symphony«

Based in Bavaria’s centre for poetry slam and spoken word, it is only natural to offer a concert format that brings together stirring music and texts performed live. Three leading German slam poets will compete on the concert stage with their own texts, written especially for this event. The audience decides who wins the evening! Tickets: €15.00 concession / €30.00 standard price

Our »Slam Symphony« is now in its twelfth year, and this time the theme is Stravinsky’s »The Rite of Spring« – a vibrant work that caused quite a stir in 1913 when it was first performed as ballet music at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris: At the time, there was laughter, screaming, downright commotion and even fistfights. The piece deals with ritual incantations to reawaken nature. Ultimately, a girl is chosen to be sacrificed to the earth by dancing herself into a trance and ultimately to her death. The music composed for these scenes forms a wild orgy, whose pounding rhythm goes straight to the gut. But Stravinsky simply moved freely within the boundaries of classical music and had no use for dogmas. And so goes the course – or rather, the irony – of music history: Despite the initial commotion and veritable scandal, this composition, with its immense evocative power, has long been recognised as one of the great masterpieces of the 20th century. Its creation and premiere, the theme and the music itself are, at any rate, wonderful stepping stones for the very personal interpretations and creative ideas of our poetry slammers. With Meike Harms, Dalibor Marković and Jule Weber, three multi-award-winning voices from the German-speaking poetry slam scene take to the stage – winners at the German-speaking Poetry Slam Championships, among other accolades, and frequent performers on major slam stages – and we are eager to see which wordplay will move our audience the most, after all, as always, it’s the applause that determines the winner!

Thursday, 19 November 2026, 8.00 pm

Tabita Berglund conductor
Dalibor Marković, Jule Weber, Meike Harms poetry slam
Christian Ritter presenter
Igor Stravinsky  »Le sacre du printemps«

»Club Symphony«

CLUB SYMPHONY: RECONSTRUCTING DEBUSSY

»You are nothing but a path and a passageway, and you can only live from what you transform.« So writes Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in one of his philosophical books – and we always like to keep our finger on the pulse of the times: once again this season, we are transforming our concert hall into a club for one night, blending classical instrumental tones with electronic techno sounds. Everything revolves around Claude Debussy, who was a true nonconformist: in the spirit of optimism at the turn of the century, he stubbornly went his own way and simply composed as he saw fit – thereby initiating a fascinating revolution in music. He was particularly inspired by nature: The faun in his famous »Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune« awakens on a summer’s day from a pleasurable dream, and in the equally popular piece »La mer«, Debussy has wonderfully captured the movements of the water – which are brought to life in this extraordinary live concert with thrilling sound effects. And then a transformation begins: The two works are reimagined, reshaped and emotionally recharged by techno artist Marc Romboy and arranger and conductor Miki Kekenj. Driving beats and orchestral expansiveness intertwine here – and this vibrant flow of energy transforms gentle waves into vibrating soundscapes and evanescent motifs into truly hypnotic states.

»Symphonic Cinema«

SYMPHONIC CINEMA: LOSS 

SPECIAL CONCERT for young people aged 16 and over

Moving images accompanied by live music: we transform our concert hall into a movie theater, where two outstanding actors take centre stage on the screen – Oscar winner Emma Thompson and her husband Greg Wise. The film »LOSS« deals with loss and transformation: it tells the story of a soul’s journey as it bids farewell to earthly life and is guided on its way to the afterlife. Dance, performed by the Arts Umbrella Dance Company, acts as a metaphor for this – and to accompany the visually powerful scenes, Gustav Holst’s suite »The Planets« is played, a true masterpiece. Director Lucas van Woerkum is the creative mind behind this symphonic cinema format and explains in an interview that the film depicts a »process of mourning in a soothing manner from two perspectives«: it is as much about the »pain of those left behind« as it is about the »pain of the person leaving the earth.« The film director will give an introduction as part of the concert – and then, during the presentation, sit as a visual soloist in the middle of the orchestra to synchronise the film in real time with the music being played, matching its tempo, dynamics and emotional twists and turns. And that is exactly what makes this evening so unique, as a special bond is created between film and music, with each greatly reinforcing the other's message. It is sure to be a moving and memorable event that should not be missed.

>> WATCH THE TRAILER HERE