A Whole Life to Come

Eric Thill

Minister of Culture

How many singers, poets and writers were inspired by the mere fact of being 20 years old?

An age we all remember with pleasure, the age of possibilities, when life seemed like it would never end. All this can also be wished upon the Philharmonie in the flowering of its life: in 2025, it will see its twentieth spring. Already, the Philharmonie looks back on a multitude of fascinating projects; its iconic building is even depicted on the inside pages of Luxembourgish passports. The Philharmonie certainly holds many more surprises for us, as reflected in its richly varied season programmes, growing more diverse every year to attract as broad an audience as possible. Young people, especially, are encouraged to attend, as demonstrated by a rich array of specific offerings for children as well as the specially priced Phil30 tickets, designed for those aged up to 30 who wish to attend concerts. Give or take a few months, that’s my generation!

Yet youth is not the only thing that counts, and it would be inappropriate to leave unmentioned the remarkable work of the Luxembourg Philharmonic, which recently turned 90 and is an essential pillar of the musical landscape in Luxembourg. It is a true ambassador for the Grand Duchy, and we can only be proud of the activities of this unique orchestra, including its numerous concerts, tours, events for young audiences and recordings. Another reason for civic pride is the fact that the orchestra will focus on the strengths of our country this coming season, commissioning new works from Luxembourgish composers and collaborating with renowned artists from the region.

A twentieth birthday means celebrating what one has achieved and dreaming of things yet to come. May all these dreams come true. Congratulations – long live the Philharmonie!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Music Lovers,

Music is emotion. In whatever way it touches us, music changes us – maybe briefly maybe even forever – our mood, our feeling, perhaps even our perspective on life. A concert hall produces such emotions every evening, and not just indirectly, but live: every evening, anywhere between one and one hundred musicians gather for a shared experience that demands that all those present be involved, and rewards this involvement with emotional experiences.

Evoking this plethora of emotions over and over, whilst exploring the wealth of musical styles and genres anew each season, is our goal: to present not only familiar and highly esteemed artists, some of whom have been with us since the Philharmonie opened its doors in 2005, but also musicians who are young or still unknown in Luxembourg. Even though our planning is never truly complete, once a year we sum it all up, introducing the programme to you in the form of a Musical Diary: nothing should limit your spirit of discovery as you leaf through these pages! If you would like more information on the concerts, workshops and the various offers for children, may we recommend our newly redesigned website www.philharmonie.lu, where you can now also book your subscriptions directly and create a personalised page «My Philharmonie».

The season 2024/25 owes its existence to all those who have contributed to its genesis – the artists, the Philharmonie team, all our partners, and of course you yourselves: our interested audience, which motivates us daily to create the best programme we can. We would also like to thank all our supporters: the sponsors, the PhilaPhil members, the supporters of the orchestra academy and the Fondation EME, and of course the source of our subsidies, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

A warm welcome to the Philharmonie, a warm welcome to the 2024/25 season!