Andris Nelsons returns to the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig this February for a program celebrating the work of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, as part of the theme, Tacheles – Year of Jewish Culture in Saxony 2026. Mendelssohn was the founder of the Conservatory and Kapellmeister of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig, shaping the musical life of the city and paving the way for Jewish musicians. The concert will feature the orchestra, as well as the MDR Radio choir and soprano Nikola Hillebrand, mezzo-soprano Catriona Morison, tenor Werner Güra, baritone Matthias Goerne, and bass Alexander Grassauer.

The program opens with Christus, Op. 97, is an unfinished oratorio, existing only as a collection of fragments. Mendelssohn began composing the work in 1846 and died unexpectedly in November 1847, leaving the oratorio incomplete. It will be followed by Wie der Hirsch schreit op. 42, a cantata that sets Psalm 42, “As the deer pants for water.” 

In the second half, Nelsons will lead the orchestra, choir, and soloists in Die erste Walpurgisnacht op. 60, which was premiered in Leipzig in 1843 and became one of Mendelssohn’s most famous choral compositions. Based on a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the dramatic ballad depicts pagan traditions clashing with emerging Christianity on Walpurgis Night.

This program will be performed on February 5, 6, and 8 at the Gewandhaus zu Leipzig.