From February 13 to March 1, 2025, the Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation, together with cooperation partners from the fields of music, art, science and religion, reached over 30,000 visitors of all ages as part of its third Biennale on the theme of Paradise Lost - The Threat to Nature.
Andrea Zietzschmann, Managing Director of the Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation: “We have enjoyed a fantastic range of concerts and events, and are delighted with the wonderful audience response. I hope that our Biennale has provided inspiration for reflection upon one of the most important topics of our time – nature, its importance, and what threatens it – from a wide variety of perspectives. Overall, this proved to be a harmonious festival with wonderful collaborative partnerships at the Kulturforum and beyond, which once again showed how important it is to preserve and promote Berlin's diverse cultural landscape.”
Celebrated debuts
The musical focus of this third Biennale of the Berliner Philharmoniker was three orchestral programs. Under the direction of David Robertson, who stood in for indisposed chief conductor Kirill Petrenko, the German premiere of Miroslav Srnka's Superorganisms was presented alongside Ludwig van Beethoven's “Pastorale”. The debut of American conductor Marin Alsop featured two premieres: the world premiere of Day Night Day by Outi Tarkiainen and the German premiere of Brett Dean's Fire Music. Finnish-Ukrainian conductor Dalia Stasevska and French pianist Jean-Frédéric Neuburger celebrated a double debut, combining La Mer by Claude Debussy with Nordic compositions. All three concert programs can be experienced alongside a thematically curated playlist in the Berliner Philharmoniker's Digital Concert Hall.
Music and science
Two special discussion concerts showed how classical music and science can be combined in an entertaining way. In the Dinosaur Hall of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, double bassist Martin Heinze and contrabassoonist Václav Vonášek, both members of the Berliner Philharmoniker, played music for their unusual combination of instruments. In addition, scientist couple Katharina and Parm von Oheimb discussed their research on snails in Berlin cemeteries and in North Vietnam; the snails provide a kind of early warning system for species extinction. Tipping Points – 14 ways to describe climate change was premiered in the Chamber Music Hall of the Philharmonie Berlin by members of the Berliner Philharmoniker and guests under the direction of composer Gregor Mayrhofer. In addition to works by Eisler, Messiaen and Liszt, a lecture by physicist and science journalist Harald Lesch was woven into the 14 Tipping Points.
The discourse at the Philharmonie Berlin also took place in the context of science. Marine biologist Antje Boetius and sociologist Steffen Mau discussed whether climate change has disappeared from the political agenda and what can be done about it. A reading with Iris Berben at the Staatsbibliothek Berlin (Berlin State Library) showed how some writers described the impact of humans on nature as early as the 18th century.
Education programme
The Berliner Philharmoniker's education program participated with a family concert at the Philharmonie Berlin and the world premiere performance of Alexander Schubert's Terminal Infinity at the Radialsystem. Both concerts were repeated as school concerts. The project at the Radialsystem was made possible with the support of the Ernst von Siemens Foundation.
Other highlights included late-night concerts at St. Matthew's Church and the Neue Nationalgalerie, concerts by the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and the Freiburger Barockorchester at the Philharmonie Berlin, supplemented by film screenings and exhibitions on the subject.