Anniversaries and Innovations
Almost any given day at the Philharmonie feels like a celebration, of course, but the 2024/25 season includes an unusual number of moments when a particularly celebratory vibe will take over – after all, there will be no less than three birthday cakes to be cut! First of all, the Philharmonie building turns 20; secondly, the Fondation EME turns 15, an age when most people are considered a «young adult»; and last but not least, Gustavo Gimeno, chief conductor of the Luxembourg Philharmonic, celebrates his tenth and last season at the helm of the orchestra. Thus a quick overview of reasons for congratulations.
The first more detailed appreciation is due to the oldest of the three – the Philharmonie as a building, designed by Christian de Portzamparc, a true jewel crowning the Kirchberg, where it sits like a proud ship. It has long taken its place among the Grand Duchy’s most striking edifices. In 1995, when Luxembourg was the Cultural Capital of Europe, a decision was taken to build an impressive concert hall. Since the building, which resides at the meaningful address Place de l’Europe, was inaugurated and opened to the public in 2005, innumerable artists have performed here, filling it with life through a plethora of events.
Many of those events took place under the patronage of the Fondation EME, which for 15 years has been employing the universal language of music to foster harmony among people, working under the banner of solidarity and inclusion. Whether this meant bringing music to places where it is rarely heard or opening the doors of the Philharmonie to
people who rarely find their way into established cultural institutions – both goals were reached in an impressive manner, benefitting approximately 17.000 people from all over the country every year. May they be joined by many more during the years ahead!
For Gustavo Gimeno, after ten seasons, the time has come to say farewell to Luxembourg, for in his native Spain, a new task awaits him: he was appointed music director at the Teatro Real in Madrid. The Luxembourg audience, however, will have several opportunities yet to experience the conductor in his role as «chief» at the helm of the Luxembourg Philharmonic. A few years ago, Gimeno declared that he had felt «at home here from the very beginning». Now he completes a personal and artistic period of his life which not only included working with the orchestra at home, but also on tours to three continents, recording more than a dozen CDs and performing with soloists of the highest rank.
Plenty of reasons to blow out a lot of candles – come and join the celebrations!
Charlotte Brouard-Tartarin