Rattle and BRSO Open 25th Klassik am Odeonsplatz with All-Gershwin Evening Under Clear Skies
On a mild Saturday evening free of the storms that marred earlier editions, Sir Simon Rattle led the BRSO in its first all-Gershwin programme at Klassik am Odeonsplatz, with pianist Kirill Gerstein and an audience of 7,000.
On the evening of 11 July 2026, Munich’s Odeonsplatz, flanked by the Feldherrnhalle and the Theatinerkirche, filled with 7,000 music lovers for the 25th Klassik am Odeonsplatz festival. The weather was “mehr als stabil,” as DIE WELT put it, with not a single raindrop falling during the concert, a relief after several earlier editions were battered by thunderstorms. Concertgoers, drawn from all parts of the city and beyond, held Aperol Spritz cocktails and savoured the clear twilight.
An all-Gershwin programme
Sir Simon Rattle, chief conductor of the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (BRSO), led the orchestra in its first complete evening of George Gershwin’s music at the open-air festival. The 71-year-old Englishman conducted the “Concerto in F”, with pianist Kirill Gerstein as soloist, along with selections from “Porgy and Bess” and “An American in Paris”. The Süddeutsche Zeitung captured the buoyant mood with the headline “Bessere Laune war lange nicht”. After the concert, Rattle told the stage audience that he planned to watch England’s World Cup match against Norway that evening.
The open-air series brings together people who might not otherwise meet.
The performance drew enthusiastic applause for Rattle, the orchestra, and Gerstein.
A tent instead of the Feldherrnhalle
With the adjacent Feldherrnhalle still under renovation, the BRSO performed in a tent set up directly in front of the historic loggia, as it did in 2025. The temporary arrangement did not lessen the festive character of the night.
Sunday’s Philharmonic programme
The two-evening festival concludes on 12 July with the Münchner Philharmoniker under chief conductor Lahav Shani. Their programme opens with Wagner’s overture to “Der fliegende Holländer” and continues with Bruch’s Violin Concerto in G minor. Violinist María Dueñas will substitute for Janine Jansen, who withdrew on short notice due to illness.
- BRSO with Sir Simon Rattle performs all-Gershwin programme; soloist Kirill Gerstein
- Munich Philharmonic with Lahav Shani perform Wagner and Bruch; Dueñas substitutes for Jansen
25 years of classical music under the stars
First held a quarter century ago, Klassik am Odeonsplatz has become a fixture of Munich’s summer cultural calendar. Each year, the festival pairs top orchestras with a relaxed al-fresco setting, drawing thousands of residents and visitors to the historic city centre.
