The concert hall of the Berliner Philharmonic, designed by Hans Scharoun and noted for its unique architecture, opened 50 years ago. On 20 October the anniversary is being celebrated by a gala concert with a programme that features compositions filling musical space in a special way.

Besides the famous “space music” of Giovanni Gabrieli, Beethoven, Vaughan Williams and Berlioz, as well as a new work written specifically for the occasion by Wolfgang Rihm, György  Kurtág’s piano concerto …quasi una fantasia … op. 27. no.1 is being presented by the musicians of a chamber orchestra accompanying the piano whose members are spatially distributed in the hall. The soloist of the evening is Mitsuko Uchida, and the Berlin Philharmonic is being conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.