This month, Andris Nelsons tours through Europe with the Gewandhausorchester and French pianist Hélène Grimaud. Marking Nelsons second season as Gewandhauskapellmeister, he focuses on two composers for the tour: Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Robert Schumann, whose musical friendship blossomed after meeting in Leipzig.

“It was an incredibly exciting time” said Nelsons. “I would have loved to have been there when Mendelssohn and Schumann talked about the latest developments in music – about old and new forms, about the future of the symphony. And then, of course, the guests who came and went with both of them: Liszt, Wagner, Berlioz… Leipzig was a real hotspot of music at the time.”

The tour begins on January 19 & 20 at the Elbphilharmonie, where Nelsons is Artist in Residence with ProArte Hamburg. On January 21, he leads a sold-out performance at the Philharmonie de Paris, following with a performance on January 22. Further concerts include the Philharmonie Luxembourg on January 24, the Philharmonie Gasteig on January 26 and January 27, and concluding at the Musikverein on January 28 & January 29.

For the tour, Nelsons has selected the two middle symphonies of Schumann, as well as the A minor Piano Concerto, interpreted by Hélène Grimaud. By Mendelssohn—a predecessor of the Leipzig Kapellmeisteramt—the “Italian Symphony” and two overtures – all works that are closely associated with Leipzig and most of which were written or premiered there. More information about Andris Nelsons’ tour is available via the Gewandhausorchester website.