Gala Concert of the Philharmonia Zürich
Celebratory conclusion of the Homoki direction
Richard Wagner
Overture to the opera «Der fliegende Holländer»
Stefan Wirth
Trypophobia for large orchestra, world premiere
Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
Duration 2 H. 30 Min. incl. intermission after 1st part after approx. 1 H. 05 Min. Introduction 45 min before the performance.
The concert will be recorded and broadcast on the radio on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. on SRF 2 Kultur.
With the kind support of the Landis & Gyr Stiftung
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Gala Concert of the Philharmonia Zürich
Abstract
Gala Concert of the Philharmonia Zürich
With the final Philharmonic Concert and a ceremonial act, the directorship of Andreas Homoki bids farewell to the Zurich Opera House. At the podium of the Philharmonia Zürich stands General Music Director Gianandrea Noseda. The program, which also includes ceremonial speeches, begins with the stormily agitated overture to Wagner’s Flying Dutchman – the first opera Andreas Homoki himself staged at this house in 2012. Even in this farewell concert, we continue to break new ground: Swiss composer Stefan Wirth, whose opera Girl with a Pearl Earring was named the «World Premiere of the Year» here in 2022, has composed a new work for large orchestra with Trypophobia, inspired by a peculiar phenomenon: the discomfort some people feel when confronted with hole-covered or blistered surfaces. And naturally, we also uphold tradition to the very end: with the formally rigorous Symphony No. 4 in E minor, which marks the pinnacle and conclusion of Johannes Brahms’s oeuvre.
Biography
Gianandrea Noseda, Music Direction
Gianandrea Noseda
Gianandrea Noseda has been General Music Director of the Opernhaus Zurich since the 2021/22 season. He is also Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra (Washington, D. C.) and Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. In 2019 he became the founding Music Director of the Tsinandali Festival and Pan-Caucasian Youth Orchestra in the village of Tsinandali, Georgia. Noseda’s leadership as Music Director of the Teatro Regio Torino from 2007–2018 transformed the opera house resulting in internationally acclaimed productions, tours, and recordings. Noseda has conducted the most important international orchestras (Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Concergetbouw Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic), opera houses (La Scala, Metropolitan Opera and Royal Opera House, Covent Garden) and festivals (BBC Proms, Edinburgh, Salzburg and Verbier). He has had significant roles at the BBC Philharmonic (Chief Conductor), Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (Principal Guest Conductor), Mariinsky Theatre (Principal Guest Conductor), Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (Victor de Sabata Chair), Rotterdam Philharmonic (Principal Guest Conductor) and Stresa Festival (Artistic Director). Gianandrea Noseda’s discography comprises more than 70 CDs; notable among them is the «Musica Italiana» Project, in which Noseda documents neglected Italian repertoire of the 20th century. Born in Milan, Noseda holds the honor of Commendatore al Merito della Repubblica Italiana. He was honored as Musical America’s Conductor of the Year in 2015 and named Conductor of the Year by the International Opera Awards in 2016.