John Adams (Foto: Vern Evans)

The Cosmos of John Adams

American composer and conductor John Adams will be the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich’s guest in the 2021/22 season, affording us an encounter with the cosmos of a fascinating artist.

It is impossible to imagine the American music scene without John Adams, who was born in 1947. His works touch and convince the listener with their great depth of expression and humanistic approach. Following on from early compositions in the style of minimal music, the composer’s later works defy stylistic classification. At times they sound almost atonal, at others they appear influenced by late Romanticism, and are mostly characterised by a great rhythmical energy. They are always, however, the work of a wide-awake, humorous person interested in the world.

John Adams is not only a composer and conductor, but also an author. His work has been honoured on several occasions: among other awards, he has won the Pulitzer and Erasmus prizes, and holds honorary doctorates from the universities of Harvard and Yale.

John Adams has been invited to present works from different creative periods that will provide a glimpse into his musical world.

Every season, we invite an important composer to be our Creative Chair. Prepare to be astonished and moved by the music of our time. Our previous Creative Chairs:

  • Arvo Pärt 2020/21 – Estonia
  • Erkki-Sven Tüür 2019/20 – Estonia
  • Matthias Pintscher 2018/19 – Germany/USA
  • Brett Dean 2017/18 – Australia
  • Péter Eötvös 2016/17 – Hungary
  • Jörg Widmann 2015/16 – Germany
  • Esa-Pekka Salonen 2014/15 – Finland

No results

March 2022
Fri 25. Mar
22.00

tonhalleLATE – classic meets electronic

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Paavo Järvi Music Director, anschliessend Live Act, Visuals und DJ interpretieren klassische Motive neu Array, Mirko Loko Live, Céline Fankhauser Arrangements, FIONA & 2M (Naturklang) DJ Sets, Elisabeth Harringer-Pignat Elektro-Violine, Mio Yamamoto Elektro-Violine, Sarina Zickgraf Elektro-Viola, Paul Handschke Elektro-Violoncello, Mattia Zappa Elektro-Violoncello, Diego Baroni Klarinette, Bassklarinette, Atena Carte Klavier, Kollektiv Packungsbeilage Visuals Adams
Thu 24. Mar
19.30

Paavo Järvi dirigiert John Adams

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Paavo Järvi Music Director, Leonidas Kavakos Violine Adams, Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Adams
Wed 23. Mar
19.30

Benefit Concert for the Ukrainian People

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Paavo Järvi Music Director, Leonidas Kavakos Violine Silvestrov, Adams, Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Adams, Pärt
Mon 21. Mar
17.00

Öffentliche Masterclass John Adams

Sun 20. Mar
19.30

Jugend Sinfonieorchester Zürich

Jugend Sinfonieorchester Zürich Junior Music Partner, David Bruchez-Lalli Conductor, Schülermanager*innen der Tonhalle-Gesellschaft Zürich Moderation Adams, Prokofjew, Márquez
Sun 20. Mar
11.15

Literatur und Musik mit Thomas Sarbacher

Peter McGuire Violine, Christopher Whiting Violine, Antonia Siegers-Reid Viola, Christian Proske Violoncello, Thomas Sarbacher Lesung, John Adams Gedanken zur Musik Adams
Fri 18. Mar
19.30

John Adams dirigiert John Adams

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, John Adams Conductor, Víkingur Ólafsson Klavier Adams
Thu 17. Mar
19.30

John Adams dirigiert John Adams

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, John Adams Conductor, Víkingur Ólafsson Klavier Adams
Thu 17. Mar
12.15

Orchester-Lunchkonzert mit John Adams

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, John Adams Conductor, Víkingur Ólafsson Klavier Adams
Thu 10. Mar
19.30

Neu: Pierre-André Valade dirigiert Beethoven und Adams

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Pierre-André Valade Conductor, Marc-André Hamelin Klavier Beethoven, Adams
Wed 09. Mar
19.30

Neu: Pierre-André Valade dirigiert Beethoven und Adams

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Pierre-André Valade Conductor, Marc-André Hamelin Klavier Beethoven, Adams
February
Fri 11. Feb
19.30

Jaap van Zweden dirigiert Adams und Mahler

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Jaap van Zweden Conductor, Ilya Gringolts Violine Adams, Mahler
Thu 10. Feb
19.30

Jaap van Zweden dirigiert Adams und Mahler

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Jaap van Zweden Conductor, Ilya Gringolts Violine Adams, Mahler
Wed 09. Feb
19.30

Jaap van Zweden dirigiert Adams und Mahler

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Jaap van Zweden Conductor, Ilya Gringolts Violine Adams, Mahler
January
Fri 14. Jan
19.30

Robert Trevino dirigiert Adams und Elgar

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Robert Trevino Conductor Adams, Elgar
Thu 13. Jan
19.30

Robert Trevino dirigiert Adams und Elgar

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Robert Trevino Conductor Adams, Elgar
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