Festival Programme
For the 27th time, Young Euro Classic will host young musicians from many very different countries in the summer of 2026, all bringing their own distinctive sounds, stories, and unbridled curiosity. This gives rise to a unique energy, one that looks openly toward the future, bringing people together without erasing their differences and making those differences heard — across 17 concert evenings, the ensemble performances of FUTURE NOW Musical Diaries, and a special day for young audiences.
For the first time, a choir will also take part: the Estonian National Opera Boys’ Choir. Encounters continue to shape the program, for example between musicians from Poland and America, as well as German and Indian jazz artists. In this way, the festival stands for openness, collaboration, and the power of listening — far beyond the moment itself.
Opening concert!
Two young stars, a top orchestra, and sweeping Romanticism: a spectacular opening for Young Euro Classic!
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF · Concerto for piano and orchestra no. 3 D minor op. 30 (1909)
GIYA KANCHELI · „Noch ein Schritt / Another step“ (1992)
MODEST MUSSORGSKI · „Pictures at an Exhibition“ (1874), orchestrated by Maurice Ravel (1922)
Traditional Tajik sounds meet international works and merge into a captivating concert experience. MOHIRON combines musical heritage with fresh artistic ideas.
TAJIK MELODIES FROM DIFFERENT REGIONS · Qalb (en. Heart)
IDIBEK TOSHEV · Jilva (en. Radiance / Graceful Allure)
ANTONIO VIVALDI · Escala Palladio (arranged for Tajik national instruments)
HAKIM MAHMUD · Zavqi Javoni (en. The Joy of Youth)
JONIBEK SATTORZODA · Guftugu (en. Dialogue)
ZEQUINHA DE ABREU · Tico-Tico
KHUSHBAKHT NIYOZOV · Badakhshoni (en. From Badakhshan)
JOVIDON HASANOV · Kuhistoni (en. Of the Mountains)
VITTORIO MONTI · Csárdás
IDIBEK TOSHEV · Khusnoro (en. Radiant Beauty)
IDIBEK TOSHEV · Sarchashma (en. Source)
With symphonic sounds, the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine returns to Berlin, sending a powerful message of hope and resilience.
JOHANNES BRAHMS · Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15 (1854-1858)
EDUARD RESATSCH · "Reflections of Hope"
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK · Symphony No. 8 G major, op. 88 (1889)
Vietnam
Lương Huệ Trinh combines traditional Vietnamese music, everyday sounds, and electronic textures into multilayered soundscapes between reality and illusion. In dialogue with singer Vũ Thị Thùy Linh, the Lách-Tách concert gives rise to cross-temporal musical encounters in which past and present flow into one another.
Vietnamese composer and performer Lương Huệ Trinh builds her musical practice by exploring materials from traditional music, everyday life sounds, and electronic sounds. She shapes and places them in new relationships, creating multilayered sonic landscapes that blur the boundaries between reality and illusion. Her music becomes emotional wanderings that guide listeners through layers of memory, through space, through the sharing of personal thoughts.
In the Lách Tách concert, Lương Huệ Trinh invites Vũ Thị Thùy Linh, a traditional Vietnamese vocalist, to join this voyage. Vũ Thị Thùy Linh presents the ancient melodies of Ả Đào, a millennia-old traditional music form from Northern Vietnam blending poetry and music with highly refined vocal techniques and the most complex tonal system, accompanied by Phách (claves) and Trống chầu (drum). Two artists, two distinct approaches to sound, collide and create a space with folds in time.
What belongs to the past and what is unfolding in the present do not remain separate but interweave, generating sonic moments where the boundary between old and new becomes blurred – at once strange and familiar. The music here does not explain but poses questions – about time, about memory, about what still resonates.
The concert will be followed by a Q&A/discussion with the audience.
Young, vibrant, masterful! ONJ Luxembourg celebrates its Young Euro Classic debut with Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky.
HY-KHANG DANG · "If the bell rings, why should we run?" (2026, German Premiere)
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF · Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, A minor, Op. 43 (1934)
IGOR STRAVINSKY · "Circus Polka: For A Young Elephant" (1942/44)
IGOR STRAVINSKY · „The Firebird”, ballet-suite for orchestra (1945)
When young top-class artistry meets passion: Elim Chan and María Dueñas ignite the EUYO with a thrilling fusion of temperament and virtuosity – featuring Brahms and Rachmaninoff!
JOHANNES BRAHMS · Violin Concerto in D major op. 77 (1878-1879)
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF · Symphony No. 2 in E minor op. 27 (1906-1907)
The following pieces were performed as encores:
Solo encore: "The Little Girl Sings" — a traditional Norwegian song (transcribed by Johan Halvorsen).
Orchestra:
Edward Elgar: "Nimrod" from Enigma Variations, Op. 36, Variation IX
"Amparito Roca" (Paso Doble) by Jaime Texidor
NYO-USA returns to Young Euro Classic with technical brilliance and a captivating program with Barber and Bartók. With Gershwin’s jazzy piano concerto and star soloist Kirill Gerstein, the artists promise an exhilarating evening.
SAMUEL BARBER · Ouverture to „The School for Scandal” op. 5 (1931)
GEORGE GERSHWIN · „Concerto in F” for piano and orchestra (1924)
BÉLA BARTÓK · Concerto for Orchestra (1943)
Solo encore:
OSCAR LEVANT · „Blame ist on my youth" (1934)
Orchestra encore:
GERORGE GERSHWIN · Ouverture to "Girl Crazy" (1930)
China
The young chinese orchestra of the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music makes its debut at Young Euro Classic!
From Chinese modernism to Bruckner: an evening of cultural bridges and symphonic energy.
WELCOME · Welcome speech by Boris Aljinovic (Actor)
ZHANG YING · Academic Festival Overture (German Premiere)
CHEN QIGANG · „Er Huang“ Concerto for piano and orchestra (2009)
ANTON BRUCKNER · Symphony No. 2 in C minor (1871-1872)
Solo encore:
FREDERIC CHOPIN · Etude Op. 10 Nr. 1 in C-Dur
Orchestra encore:
SHANDE DING · "Children's Suite" op. 9
Netherlands
Discover the sounds of Central and South America this summer with the Netherlands’ most vibrant orchestra, Jong Metropole! This symphonic jazz orchestra presents enchanting melodies played by highly talented musicians!
BASEMENT JAXX ◦ „Samba Magic“ (arr. Martin Fondse)
MANU DIBANGO (1933-2020) ◦ „Wakafrika“ (arr. Martin Fondse)
CHICK COREA (1941-2021) ◦ „Spain“ (arr. Vince Mendoza)
CHRIS MULLER (*1998) ◦ „The Other Side“ (2026, Deutsche Erstaufführung)
DIZZY GILLESPIE (1917-1993) ◦ „Manteca“ (arr. Quincy Jones/Damiano Pascarelli)
CLARE FISHER (1928-2012) ◦ „C.P. “
VINCE MENDOZA (*1961) ◦ „Esperanca“
ROBERTO FONSECA (*1975) ◦ „Mambo por la Nina“ (arr. Vladimir Nikolov)
MICHAEL LEAGUE (*1984) ◦ „Shofukan“ (arr. Vellu Halkosalmi)
Encore:
SAM HYKE (ARR.) ◦ "Danzas Cubanas"
A special guest at Young Euro Classic!
The Jovem Orquestra Portuguesa returns with a programme shaped by saudade, a musical journey through longing, memory, and passionate intensity.
„SAUDADE“
HECTOR BERLIOZ · Ouverture „Le Corsaire“ op. 21 (1844, rev. 1852)
HECTOR BERLIOZ · Aria „Ah, je vais mourir … Adieu fière cite” from the opera „Les Troyens“ H 133 (1890)
HECTOR BERLIOZ · „Sur les lagunes“ from „Les Nuits d’été“ op. 7 (1856)
CÉSAR RAFAEL · "Saudades, só portugueses" (World Premiere)
PIOTR I. TCHAIKOVSKY · Symphony No. 6 „Pathétique“ (1893)
Encore:
CARLOS PAREDES · Movimento Perpétuo (arr. Francisco Lima da Silva)
FERNANDO LOPES-GRAÇA · Acordai
FERNANDO LOPES-GRAÇA · Os Homens que vao para a Guerra
Morocco
Five musicians from Morocco unfold the tradition of Arabo-Andalusian chamber music and combine classical works with contemporary compositions. Historical depth and contemporary sonic artistry weave into a journey through the North African and Mediterranean cultural space.
TRADITIONELL ANDALUSISCH · حبك القمر (en. Even the moon has fallen under your spell)
ANDALUSISCHE MUWASCHSCHAH · ريم رمتني (en. Reem cast me aside)
N. N. · يا قلبي خلي الحال (en. My heart, let things rest in their own truth)
TRADITIONELL CHAABI · العار يا العار (en. Have mercy, have mercy on me)
ANDALUSISCHE MUWASCHSCHAH · لحبيبي أرسل سلام (en. I send my greetings to my beloved)
TRADITIONELL ANDALUSISCH · أنا قد عيّا صبري (en. My patience has grown weary)
The National Youth Philharmonic of Turkey enchants its audience, taking them on a magical journey through the fairy-tale worlds of Humperdinck, Dukas, Ravel, Tchaikovsky, and Emre Şener.
„MAGIC“
ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK · Prelude to „Hänsel und Gretel“ (1893)
PIOTR I. TCHAIKOVSKY · Piano Concerto No. 1 in B♭ minor, Op. 23 (1874-1875)
EMRE ŞENER · „Je ne sais quoi" (2026, German Premiere)
MAURICE RAVEL · „Ma Mère l’oye” five pieces for Children (1911)
PAUL DUKAS · „L’Apprenti sorcier” (1897)
Soloist encore:
Original work by the soloist for Pac-Man · Last movement of the "First Light Suite", "Nebula"
Orchestra encore:
PIOTR I. TCHAIKOVSKY · Excerpt from "The Nutcracker", „ Russian Dance“ (1892)
ULVI CEMAL ERKIN · Köçekçe
Get ready to sing, dance, and rock out as Suli Puschban and the Kapelle der guten Hoffnung bring the stage to life with catchy tunes, buzzing guitars, and heaps of fun for everyone!
Become a band star! Here you can try out instruments, record your own songs, and experience how a music studio works.
Become a musician yourself! At the Klingendes Museum, you can try out instruments, explore sounds, and discover in a playful way how music is created.
A barn, clever mice, and a rocket to the stars – join us on a musical journey to the moon full of imagination and adventure.
A barn, clever mice, and a rocket to the stars – join us on a musical journey to the moon full of imagination and adventure.
Sing along with the Vokalhelden at Gendarmenmarkt in front of the Konzerthaus Berlin! A joyful sing-along concert at 2.00 and 3.00 pm for children, families, and every voice that loves to sing and make music.
Time to sing out! During two performances by the vocal ensemble Vokalhelden at 2 and 3 p.m., you can join other children, singing familiar songs and new numbers too, right in front of the grand stairway of the Konzerthaus Berlin on Gendarmenmarkt. Whether loud or soft, high or low – every voice is welcome here! Come along, bring your friends and family, and experience the joy of singing together.
TRADITIONAL · "Mango Mango"
BIMBA ZILOTTI / JOCHEN SCHMIDT-HAMBROCK · "Zitroneneis" from "Pünktchen und Anton"
RITCHIE VALENS / WILLIAM CLAUSON (ARR.) · "La Bamba"
ŞENAY YÜZBAŞIOĞLU / NURIT HIRSH · "Sev Kardeşim"
MARK CWIERTNIA, TOBIAS FELIX KUHN,
SEBASTIAN WEHLINGS / RALF-CHRISTIAN MAYER, DANIEL NITT · "Chöre"
Sing along with the Vokalhelden at Gendarmenmarkt in front of the Konzerthaus Berlin! A joyful sing-along concert at 2.00 and 3.00 pm for children, families, and every voice that loves to sing and make music.
Time to sing out! During two performances by the vocal ensemble Vokalhelden at 2 and 3 p.m., you can join other children, singing familiar songs and new numbers too, right in front of the grand stairway of the Konzerthaus Berlin on Gendarmenmarkt. Whether loud or soft, high or low – every voice is welcome here! Come along, bring your friends and family, and experience the joy of singing together.
TRADITIONAL · "Mango Mango"
BIMBA ZILOTTI / JOCHEN SCHMIDT-HAMBROCK · "Zitroneneis" from "Pünktchen und Anton"
RITCHIE VALENS / WILLIAM CLAUSON (ARR.) · "La Bamba"
ŞENAY YÜZBAŞIOĞLU / NURIT HIRSH · "Sev Kardeşim"
MARK CWIERTNIA, TOBIAS FELIX KUHN,
SEBASTIAN WEHLINGS / RALF-CHRISTIAN MAYER, DANIEL NITT · "Chöre"
The National Youth Orchestra of Turkmenistan brings renowned Turkmen composers such as Chary Narymov, Veli Muhatov, and Nury Halmammedov to the stage at Young Euro Classic. Bridging tradition, history, modern classical music the program unfolds into a truly unique experience.
CHARY NURYMOV · Concerto for piano and Orchestra (1975)
WELI MUHATOV · „My Homeland“ symphonic poem(1950)
AIDAN GOLD · „Songs from Turkmenistan“ concerto for percussion and Orchestra, III. Misterioso: „Fantasy on Turkmen Themes“(2018, German Premiere)
NURY HALMAMMEDOV · „Wind from the Karakum Desert“ symphonic pictures
PIERRE THILLOY · „Diable qui danse“ op. 265 (2023, German Premiere)
ARTURO MÁRQUEZ · Danzón Nr. 2 (1994)
Soloist encore:
BAYRAM HUDAYNAZAROV · Tokkata
Orchestra encore:
ARTURO MÁRQUEZ · Excerpt from "Danzón Nr. 2" (1994)
Two youth orchestras from America and Europe come together and create an exhilarating musical dialogue full of energy, passion, and cultural diversity.
KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI · "Ciaccona in memoria Giovanni Paolo II“ for strings (2005)
JOHANNES BRAHMS · Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90 (1883)
SILVESTRE REVUELTAS · "La noche de los Mayas“ (1939)
GABRIELA ORTIZ · "Antropolis“ (German Premiere, 2019)
Germany & India
The six-member ensemble brings together outstanding young talents around Jakob Manz and Karthik Mani, on the initiative of Young Euro Classic. Inspired by the legendary collaboration between R. A. Ramamani and Charlie Mariano, this new generation continues the musical dialogue with fresh impulses.
In this concert, three up-and-coming jazz virtuosos from Germany collaborate with three Indian musicians, presenting a rich blend of India’s classical and folk traditions. At the same time, the project is intended as a tribute to the collaboration between the singer and composer R.A. Ramamani – Karthik Mani’s mother – and the alto saxophonist Charlie Mariano in the 1980s. Their musical exchange is taken up by a new generation, which carries it forward with fresh inspiration.
In the first half, the different musical perspectives are presented individually: With atmospheric ragas expressed through song, fascinating rhythmic patterns, expressive South Indian violin and lively folk music, the Karthik Mani India Ensemble combines dynamic percussion and the rousing language of konnakol to create an energetic performance. In the German trio led by the young, exceptional alto saxophonist Jakob Manz, the improvisations reveal an inexhaustible wealth of melodies, nuanced and warm sounds, as well as groovy passages with free elements. In the second half of the concert, the six musicians come together and blend these diverse musical influences into a single concert.
With a captivating programme blending Irish musical poetry and Russian passion, the Ulster Youth Orchestra celebrates its return to Young Euro Classic.
SAM KANE · "Journey to the Otherworld" (2026, World Premiere)
HAMILTON HARTY · „The Children of Lir” (1938)
SERGEJ RACHMANINOW · Symphonic Dances op. 45 (1940)
Encore:
TRAD. (ARR. SAM KANE) · "My Lagan Love"
TRAD. (ARR. BILL WHELAM) · "River Dance"
Young Euro Classic welcomes the Slovenian Youth Orchestra debuting with Krečič’s "Fast Break", Porra’s electrifying bass guitar concerto, and Beethoven’s unforgettable Fifth Symphony.
MATIJA KREČIČ · „Fast Break” (2019, German Premiere)
LAURI PORRA · „Entropia“ Concerto for bass guitar and orchestra (2015, German Premiere)
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN · Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 (1804-1808)
Experience Vienna in Berlin! The Angelika Prokopp Summer Academy immerses itself in classical sounds from Beethoven and Wagner to the bold, emerging ideas of composer Konrád Varga.
RICHARD WAGNER · „Siegfried Idyll", WWV 103 (1870)
REINHOLD GLIÈRE · Harp Concerto in E♭ major, op. 74 (1938)
KONRÁD VARGA · "3 Paranoide" (2026, German Premiere)
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN · Symphony No. 4, B♭ major, op. 60 (1806)
Solo encore:
BERNARD ANDRES · "Duke"
Orchestra encore:
BÉLA BARTÓK · "Romanian Folk Dances" (1918)
Argentina & Germany
The ni-va ensemble from Buenos Aires join forces with the musician Stellan Veloce and combine live electronics, improvisation, and algorithmically generated sequences into continuously evolving sounds. In their performance, fragile and dense soundscapes emerge that oscillate between the familiar and the indeterminate, calling the very act of listening into question.
Chamber music on a laptop? The ni-va Ensemble from Argentina brings it to Berlin. This live digital music project was founded by students on the Electroacoustic Composition programme at the National University of the Arts (UNA) in Buenos Aires. The ensemble focuses on exploring sound in real time. Their live improvisations combine various approaches to electroacoustic music, including acousmatics and musique concrète.
At FUTURE NOW Musical Diaries, the four-piece laptop ensemble from Buenos Aires presents an electroacoustic improvisation in four acts. To achieve this, they use synthesizers, sampling techniques, virtual instruments as well as self-programmed sounds and algorithms. The ensemble creates dense sonic spaces in which electronic, recorded and seemingly familiar sounds are constantly remixed. What do we hear when we cannot see how a sound is created? And how does our hearing change when the origin of a sound can no longer be clearly determined? The ensemble takes precisely this uncertainty as the starting point for a concert that sets perception, expectation and sonic imagination in motion, also using visual projections that move and change in response to the sound. At their concert as part of Young Euro Classic, the musician Stellan Veloce is supporting the ensemble. Their music is characterised by the warm tones of the cello combined with electronic elements. The five musicians improvise together, working with sounds in the moment, giving each performance a genuinely new timbre.
The concert will be followed by a Q&A/discussion with the audience.
A historic first for Young Euro Classic: The Estonian National Opera Boys' Choir presents a captivating mix at its concert evening from Ave Maria to Espresso macchiato!
EDUARD TUBIN · „Ave Maria” (1952, rev. 1964)
ANDRES LEMBA · „Ubi caritas“ (2019, German Premiere)
ANDRES LEMBA · „Dona nobis pacem” (2025, German Premiere)
VELJO TORMIS · „Arrival of the wedding guests” from „Votic Wedding Songs” (1971)
CYRILLUS KREEK · „Lullaby“ (1915)
VELJO TORMIS · „Rumours are flying” (1973/1991)
MART SAAR · „Song of the Birds” (1935)
RASMUS PUUR · „We are Fragile Under our Shell” from „Thoughts of a Young Man” (2015-2017)
EDUARD TUBIN · „Yearning” (1930)
RAIVO DIKSON · „The End of the Song” (1985, arr. von Martin Sildos)
RAIMOND VALGRE · „The Right Choice” (1968, arr. von Andres Lemba)
VELJO TORMIS · „Forget Me Not” in memory of Gustav Ernesaks (1996)
ANDRES LEMBA · „Up We Go, Dear Brothers” (2014)
TOMMY CASH · „Espresso macchiato” (2024, arr. by Andres Lemba)
Vietnam, Germany, Egypt, Argentina
Four musical biographies meet and, within the FUTURE NOW ensemble &ñịoن, form a shared space of listening and creation. From friction and convergence emerges a composition that does not resolve difference, but renders it productive.
Hearing, embracing and celebrating differences: four musical traditions, four biographies in a first-time musical encounter. The FUTURE NOW Ensemble &ñịoن explores what happens when different musical upbringings challenge and contradict one another. Through a collaborative creative process involving misunderstandings, unexpected common ground and the gentle unlearning of habits, a composition emerges which will be performed for the first time at FUTURE NOW Musical Diaries.
The ensemble consists of Berlin-based musicians working across disciplines. The Argentinian composer and sound artist Joaquín Macedo is dedicated to experimental music and collaboration with performers. For Laris / Lara Bäucker, the search for a connection with the audience is at the heart of their musical practice – through voice, performance and composition. As a composer, sound engineer and video artist, Vinh Tran, a Berliner with Vietnamese roots, works across an analogue-digital continuum. He modifies guitars with acoustic distortion devices, plays algorithmically derived patterns on the piano or uses the laptop as an instrument. Hatem Hamdy, born and raised in Cairo, combines Arab and Western traditions, drawing equally on his perspectives as an engineer and composer.
The result of this multifaceted encounter? No one is here representing a particular culture. Instead, music emerges from a shared process: not four individuals working side-by-side, but a shared collaboration that allows everyone to shine.
The concert will be followed by a Q&A/discussion with the audience.
Italy
With Mediterranean flair, AYSO sweeps the audience away on a journey through Italy, from Walton’s playful Scapino to Respighi’s Pini di Roma and Tchaikovsky’s exuberant Capriccio italien.
WILLIAM WALTON · „Scapino. A Comedy Overture” (1940, rev. 1949)
DOMENICO TURI · „Ritual” (2026, German Premiere)
GIUSEPPE MARTUCCI · Notturno Nr. 1 D♭ major op. 70 (1891)
PIOTR. I. TCHAIKOVSKY · „Capriccio italien” op. 45 (1880)
OTTORINO RESPIGHI · “Pini di Roma” P. 141 (1923-1924)
Encore:
ENNIO MORRICONE · "Gabriel's Oboe" (1985)
ENNIO MORRICONE · "C'era una volta il west" (1972)
Three young talents from the Curtis Institute of Music invite you to a captivating evening of chamber music featuring works by Ravel, Rachmaninoff, and Brahms.
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) · Sonata for Violin and Cello, M. 73
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943) · "Trio élégiaque" No.1 in G minor
JOHANNES BRAHMS ( 1833-1897) · Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor, Op. 60, I. Allegro non troppo, II. Scherzo. Allegro, III. Andante, IV. Finale. Allegro comodo