EVENTS
2026–27 SEASON
HIGHLIGHTS
PIERRE BOULEZ SAAL
THE 2026–27 SEASON
In 2027, the Pierre Boulez Saal will celebrate its tenth birthday, marking a decade of musical dialogue, of curious listening, of complexity and resolution. This hall exists because thinkers like Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Edward W. Said, Frank Gehry, and Yasuhisa Toyota dared to dream about spaces where the work that is music could start to shift societal thought and bring us a better understanding of the supposed other. Their ideals and their shared capacity for fostering multiple truths concurrently permeate our thinking.
Guided by them, we have built an astonishing circle of musical friends and partners in a community that grows a little each year. This is a deeply inclusive family that celebrates musical excellence across multiple genres. It includes composers, performers, listeners, and makers and it neither denies nor necessarily defies definitions—it rather honors the streams that run alongside one another, occasionally merging and then separating again, always creating beauty along the way.
In this anniversary season, we will celebrate this community and the ten years that we have spent looking for the sound of utopia. Music is our medium, so we do this in concerts and with programs that weave together the threads we have gathered since our inception with those that are pulling us into the future. We look forward to continuing to help make Berlin and the world a brighter, better place and invite you to join us on the journey.
PERSPECTIVES
ON AN INTIMATE SCALE
With its unique architecture and extraordinary acoustics, the Pierre Boulez Saal provides an ideal space to experience small-scale chamber music. The hall’s elliptical shape, with the stage at the center, makes the barrier between musicians and audience disappear, creating a single community. Whether listening to a solo oud, a violin with electronics, or a traditional piano trio, you will be experiencing music up close.
REFRAMING SONG
Lied recitals just aren’t what they used to be. On the contrary: reconceived by creative artists, the tried and trusted dialogue between voice and instrument can become one of the most versatile and innovative formats not only to tell thrilling stories in music, but also to examine and reflect the world we live in through the prism of art.
“Why do we play music? The answer is to go all the way inside to praise this wonderful life. Each sound is an inspiration, each song is a prayer.” —William Parker
MADE IN THE MOMENT
The Pierre Boulez Saal has long been a home for improvised music of many different traditions. From jazz to contemporary and experimental, to works based on Arabic maqamat, the 2026–27 season once again offers a range of programs that celebrate spontaneous creation and exploration.
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
An intimate duo recital for two violas; a piece inspired by the rainforests of the Philippines; a program combining live electronics with 17th-century works for viola da gamba—these are all part of the 2026–27 Pierre Boulez Saal season. In challenging our expectations, we broaden our horizons. Join us to discover music you may not have heard before.
PIANISTS IN DIALOGUE
A solo piano recital can be a thrilling musical experience. This season, however, some of the world’s greatest pianists have chosen to partner with other musicians to present exquisite chamber music programs—including works for four-hand piano, compositions for vocal ensemble, and improvisation.
“The hall’s labyrinthine possibilities, where the singer can wander around the space, are what made the piece possible in the first place.”—Jörg Widmann on writing Labyrinth IV for the Pierre Boulez Saal
THE BOULEZ ENSEMBLE
Just like the Pierre Boulez Saal, the Boulez Ensemble embodies flexibility and programmatic openness—now in its tenth season. Celebrating the visionary artist for whom it was named, the ensemble is led by Daniel Barenboim and notable guest conductors to perform works from the 18th to the 21st centuries, from duo to large ensemble pieces, creating fascinating musical exchanges between the past and the present.
“The Pierre Boulez Saal embodies inspiration, kindness, and a free mind. The programming concept is to give an overview of how music history has developed. We mix things up because it creates references, treating a Schumann piece in exactly the same way as a world premiere. This is a key element of the spirit here and of working with the musicians of the Boulez Ensemble.” —Matthias Pintscher
A Season of Connections
Every dot is a performer—every line, a concert shared
Explore the 2026–27 season and all others since 2017
Every dot is an artist, and every line between two dots means they have shared a concert. Here are a few ways to move around:
Click any dot to light up that performer and everyone they’ve played with. Click the empty background to return to the full sky.
Drag a dot to pull it around the canvas. The constellation drifts and resettles on its own.
Zoom in to read the names. Scroll, pinch, or use your trackpad to zoom; the artists’ names appear as you move closer. Drag the empty background to travel across the map.
Looking for someone? Type a name into the search box, press “Enter,” and the view will glide to this person.
Travel between seasons using the years along the bottom. Each one is its own map of constellations. Choose “All past” to see every performer who has appeared at the Pierre Boulez Saal since 2017.
“This is a deeply inclusive family that celebrates musical excellence across multiple genres. It neither denies nor necessarily defies definitions—it rather honors the streams that run alongside one another, occasionally merging and then separating again, always creating beauty along the way.” —Kirsten Dawes, Artistic Director
in focus
ARABIC MUSIC DAYS
For the past decade, the Arabic Music Days have been an integral part of the Pierre Boulez Saal program. This season, the festival branches out in a slightly new direction to explore connections between African and Arabic culture. Curator Naseer Shamma—who is not performing himself but returns in March for a solo recital—has invited five ensembles comprised of artists from various African countries whose musical identities are shaped by centuries-old traditions.
“This thematic extension is not defined by geography alone, but by a shared memory, by rhythms born from the earth, and by voices that have crossed time to remain alive within the human spirit.” —Naseer Shamma
THE BEETHOVEN CYCLES
In the 2026–27 season, we commemorate the 200th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s death with three special concert cycles. The Belcea Quartet performs the composer’s complete string quartets on six Sundays between October and April. The violin sonatas will be heard twice, opening up entirely different musical perspectives: Antje Weithaas and Dénes Várjon present them on modern instruments, while Alina Ibragimova and Cédric Tiberghien explore these works in historically informed performances on gut strings and fortepiano.
“Beethoven created a completely new universe of music that evokes every feeling we have as humans—which is why it remains forever relevant to us.” —Krzysztof Chorzelski, Belcea Quartet
SIR ANDRÁS SCHIFF
It has almost become a tradition for Sir András Schiff to perform a series of concerts at the Pierre Boulez Saal over the turn of the year. Following his solo projects in past seasons, the latest edition is dedicated to chamber music. Joined by a group of close musical friends, Schiff will be heard in different trio programs and vocal recitals, as well as a very special performance alongside young pianists he has mentored as part of his “Building Bridges” initiative.
“Building Bridges is an initiative I started to present young pianists and give them concert opportunities. I would like young musicians to be very curious and experimental.” Sir András Schiff
SCHUBERT WEEK
During the Schubert Week, curator Thomas Hampson leads a series of workshops with the next generation of lied singers, culminating in three public performances. In the Young Singers concerts, rising artists who took part in the workshops in previous years present their own programs, joined by renowned pianists. The week ends with a recital by Marie Seidler and Wolfram Rieger, who perform works of Schubert, Wolf, and Zemlinsky alongside songs by lesser known French female composers of the 19th and 20th centuries whose music is long due a rediscovery.
“Music doesn’t need words, and words don’t need music, but when they merge, a new art form is created. Song is the testament and the diary of human existence, not something to entertain people.” —Thomas Hampson
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS
It has been ten years since the Pierre Boulez Saal first opened its doors in March 2017! We celebrate our birthday with two anniversary concerts and a month that will feature many musicians who have shaped the hall’s artistic identity over the past decade.
ANNIVERSARY CONCERTS
MARCH 2027
The March 2027 concert lineup includes Daniel Barenboim, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Isabelle Faust, Naseer Shamma, Waed Bouhassoun, Marie-Laure Garnier, Nduduzo Makhathini, Jonathan Ware, Barenboim-Said Akademie alumna Nathalia Milstein, Schubert Week alumnus Jeeyoung Lim, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, and many others.
THE SOUND CHECK
Every season, the Pierre Boulez Saal becomes a space for discovery. Explore the music of some of our extraordinary artists, of those making their debuts, and those returning to the stage in new constellations, as they shape and expand our musical community.
“Through composing, I explore how emotions connect and converse with one another. The aim is to reveal the hidden threads linking moments of joy, doubt, longing, and serenity, creating an intricate tapestry of who we truly are.” —Melissa Aldana
MUSIC FOR THE THINKING EAR More Ways to Explore the Season
VOICE
The power of song: Experience the human voice in all its facets
STRING QUARTET
Four is company: Rising stars and veteran ensembles perform classics and contemporary works
PIANO
From Bach to Boulez: Acclaimed pianists present solo recitals
MUSIC BEFORE 1750
More than historic: Renaissance and Baroque works in an intimate setting
MUSIC AFTER 1950
New sounds: Past and present in dialogue
ELTERNZEIT CONCERTS
“Parental Leave” concerts for visitors with babies
barenboim-said akademie
Together with the Pierre Boulez Saal, the Barenboim-Said Akademie also celebrates its tenth anniversary, with the 2026–27 winter semester marking a decade since the opening in December 2016. In addition to concerts with students, the academic year once again includes talks, lectures, and other events that juxtapose musical and non-musical ideas in exciting ways.
ACADEMY CONCERTS
In the popular series of Academy Concerts, students of the Barenboim-Said Akademie introduce themselves to their audiences as part of their curriculum. These one-hour programs, announced at short notice, feature chamber music repertoire the young musicians have been working on during their studies in preparation for entering the international music scene.
ORCHESTRA CONCERTS
The series also includes two performances by the Orchestra of the Barenboim-Said Akademie. Founded by Daniel Barenboim, the ensemble has been led by Nabil Shehata since 2024. The German-Egyptian double bassist and conductor, an early member of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra former principal double bass of the Berliner Philharmoniker, is closely associated with the Barenboim-Said Akademie as professor of double bass.
MORE MUSIC
Several times per semester, students perform solo and small ensemble pieces in the intimate setting of the Mozart Auditorium or in the foyer of the Akademie. Dates for these concerts will be announced later.
AKADEMIE FORUM
The Akademie Forum is a series of talks, readings, and discussions featuring guests from the humanities, literature, politics, and public life. Addressing topics of our time, the Forum is an invitation to explore and participate in the Akademie’s intellectual life. All events include a musical performance by students. Guests and dates for the 2026–27 academic year will be announced later.
“The founding of the Barenboim- Said Akademie is for me the fulfillment of a lifelong dream: a place in which we can educate the next generation of musicians, for the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and for orchestras all over the world. More specifically, it provides a meeting ground for a generation of people who, in their homelands, would never have the opportunity to get close to “the enemy.” Daniel Barenboim
