Schumann and Brahms under the baton of Thomas Hengelbrock
On 14 November 2026, the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía will host a symphonic concert exploring the grandeur of German Romanticism. Conductor Thomas Hengelbrock, founder of the Balthasar Neumann Ensemble, will lead the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana (OCV) in a programme featuring two of the era’s most influential composers: Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms. The concert, starting at 19:00 in the Auditori, is part of the venue’s 2026-2027 season.
The programme includes the Adagio from Schumann’s Symphony No. 2, a work celebrated for its emotional depth and melancholic beauty, composed during a period of personal vulnerability for the composer. The second half of the concert will be dedicated to Brahms’s Violin Concerto, a piece of symphonic proportions performed by violinist Christian Tetzlaff, renowned for his virtuosity and sensitivity.
For information on how to get there, check the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía venue page.
A musical dialogue between two titans
Schumann and Brahms shared more than an era: both lived under the shadow of Beethoven and maintained a complex relationship with Clara Schumann, pianist and composer. This concert offers a unique opportunity to hear how their works engage in dialogue, with Hengelbrock’s baton serving as a bridge between two distinct yet kindred Romantic styles.
Brahms’s Violin Concerto, in particular, is a work of immense technical and emotional demands. Christian Tetzlaff, one of today’s most distinguished violinists, will tackle a repertoire that requires not only instrumental mastery but also a profound understanding of its symphonic structure.
