Every year since 1991, the Berliner Philharmoniker commemorate the anniversary of the orchestra’s founding on May 1, 1882 by giving a concert on May 1 in a different European city of cultural importance.

In 2018, the Berliner Philharmoniker play at the newly reopened Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth, one of the few remaining original Baroque theaters, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2012. The Margravial Opera House was built between 1745 and 1750. It was commissioned by Margravine Wilhelmine of Prussia, wife of the Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, a gifted composer and supporter of music herself.

For the Europakonzert 2018, the Berliner Philharmoniker are joined by Paavo Järvi, chief conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Director of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, and soprano singer Eva-Maria Westbroek for works by Ludwig van Beethoven and Richard Wagner.

The Europakonzert 2018 from Bayreuth will be broadcasted live on ARD at 11am CEST and will be released on DVD and Blu-ray in September 2018.

Images were provided by courtesy of
Paavo Järvi: © Kaupo Kikkas
Eva-Maria Westbroek: © Fadil Berisha
Margravial Opera House Bayreuth: © Bayrische Schlösserverwaltung www.schloesser.bayern.de