WANT TO HEAR ONE OF THE GREATEST
ORCHESTRAS THAT HAS EVER EXISTED?
VIENNA PHILHARMONIC MAKES ONLY THREE U.S.
APPEARANCES: COSTA MESA, BERKELEY & NEW YORK
For California classical music lovers, a delight is in store. Vienna Philharmonic, one of the most renowned orchestras in the world, comes to Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley March 5-7, followed by an appearance at Segerstrom Concert Hall March 9 & 11, 2025. Presented by Cal Performances and the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, the concerts are the orchestra’s sole U.S. appearances along with Carnegie Hall (February 28-March 2 with Riccardo Muti conducting). Leading the group in California is conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, whose kinetic energy and meticulous musicianship have won him broad recognition. Serving as soloist for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 will be pianist Yefim Bronfman. Also on March 9, a Viennese Ball—2025 Philharmonic Ball Music in Bloom—will be held as part of the Philharmonic Society’s gala evening.
Vienna Philharmonic is not only an orchestra but also an institution, a symbol of continuity in classical music. For over 180 years, it has cultivated a distinctive sound—rich, luminous, and saturated with tradition. Its players, many of whom perform for years in the Vienna State Opera before being accepted, maintain a unified style passed down through generations. Their performances are marked by impeccable ensemble playing and phrasing, and an ability to balance grandeur and intimacy.
Its storied history and sumptuous sound make it a perennial audience favorite. There are many contributing factors to that glorious tone, but the musicians’ use of instruments not made outside of Vienna is one frequently sited reason. It’s an exquisite pleasure to hear the warm, rounded timbre of their Viennese horns—different from the standard French horn—sing out. But there’s more to the orchestra than the instruments.
Vienna Philharmonic; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (photo by Marco Borrelli)
There are few orchestras so steeped in the history of the repertoire they perform. Brahms, Bruckner, and Mahler all performed their own music with the orchestra. In Vienna, the orchestra gave the world premieres of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, Brahms’s Second and Third symphonies, as well as Bruckner’s Second, Fourth, Sixth, and Eighth symphonies. Vienna Philharmonic’s recordings with such giants as Wilhelm Furtwängler, Herbert von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein, and Riccardo Muti have yielded performances that are still benchmarks of orchestral interpretation. Unlike most large ensembles, the orchestra has no single music director but instead welcomes a revolving roster of conductors who impart their own stamp without compromising its essential character.
Heading the California performances, Nézet-Séguin possesses a profound musicality and an unmistakable sense of joy. As music director of the Metropolitan Opera, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Orchestre Métropolitain, he is renowned for bringing innovative ideas and boundless energy to ensembles. His conducting is precise but fluid, balancing structure and spontaneity, rigor, and emotional intensity.
Vienna Philharmonic; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (photo by Lois Lammerhuber)
He will be joined by pianist Yefim Bronfman on March 7 & 9 for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor. His daunting technical ability and interpretive penetration are matched by his commanding stage presence at the keyboard, which gives him both the pure brawn and subtle sensitivity that make each performance a revelation. His playing is marked by an effortless marriage of control and spontaneity, that rare ability to balance muscularity and lyricism. Whether playing thunderous passages or the most delicate of phrases, he brings every emotional nuance to life with astonishing clarity. His artistry transcends technique, involving the listener in the innermost heart of the music with an irresistible determination and passion.
For concertgoers the rare visit of Vienna Philharmonic is an experience to be savored. A performance by this venerable orchestra is never another evening at the symphony—it is history being made.
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 615 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa
Sunday March 9, 2025, at 3
Beethoven/Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
Yefim Bronfman, piano
R. Strauss/Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40
Tuesday March 11, 2025, at 8
Schubert/Symphony No. 4 in C minor, D 417, Tragic
Dvořák/Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, From the New World
for Costa Mesa tickets, visit Philharmonic Society
Zellerbach Hall, Bancroft Way at Dana Street on the UC Berkeley campus
Wednesday, March 5, 2025 7:30pm
Mozart/Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551, Jupiter
Mahler/Symphony No. 1 in D major
Thursday, March 6, 2025 7:30pm
Schubert/Symphony No. 4 in C minor, D 417, Tragic
Dvořák/Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, From the New World
Friday, March 7, 2025 8pm
Beethoven/Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
Yefim Bronfman, piano
Friday, March 7, 2025, 2025, at 5:30
Cal Performances’ 2025 Gala
for Berkeley tickets, visit Cal Performances
Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage in New York
Friday, February 28, 2025, at 8
Schubert/Symphony No. 4 in C minor, D 417, Tragic
Bruckner/Symphony No. 7
Saturday, March 1, 2025, at 8
Catalini/Contemplazione
Stravinsky/Divertimento from Le baiser de la fée
Schubert/Symphony in C Major, “Great”
Sunday, March 2, 2025, at 2
Mozart/Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551, Jupiter
Dvořák/Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, From the New World
for tickets, visit Carnegie Hall
