Launching his 2019/20 season, Andris Nelsons and the Gewandhausorchester embark on their Festival tour, traveling to Wiesbaden, London, Lucerne, Salzburg, Cologne, and Essen. Two outstanding soloists join the ensemble for the tour: pianist Martin Helmchen and organist Michael Schönheit. The program will include Bruckner’s monumental Symphony No. 8, the composer’s final symphony, as well as Debussy’s La Mer, and Stravinsky’s first worldwide successful work, The Firebird.

Michael Schönheit presents the meticulous detail of Bach in a series of solo organ works including the lovely chorale ‘Wachet auf’. Martin Helmchen interprets Mozart’s lively G-major piano concerto KV 453: a work full of enthusiasm and humor, through which the spirit of opera buffa blows. The tour dates include August 22 at the Kurhaus Wiesbaden part of the Rheingau Music Festival; August 23 at Royal Albert Hall part of the BBC Proms; August 25 & August 26 at the KKL Lucerne part of the Lucerne Festival; August 28 at the Großes Festspielhaus part of the Salzburg Festival; September 2 at the Kölner Philharmonie; and concluding on September 3 at the Philharmonie Essen.

Nelsons’ Autumn tour with the Gewandhausorchester will begin October 19 through the 24, with additional world-class soloists including violinist Leonidas Kavakos, cellist Gautier Capuçon, and pianist Rudolf Buchbinder. For more information about the Gewandhausorchester, click here.