Women producing clay – in mythology this meant “Caution, danger to life!!!” Odysseus allowed himself to be tied to the mast of his ship because he wanted to listen to the sirens’ beguiling, killer song – albeit muffled by wax in his ears. What a story, what male projections, but simply too good not to be used as a template! For pointing out great women of classical music who you can definitely listen to in Munich in the coming weeks without risk.
Jörg Widmann called his first work for the Munich Chamber Orchestra “Island of the Sirens” in 1997, a composition for solo violin and 19 strings. Yuki Kasaithis famous concertmaster of the MKO, will take her violin into the upper stratosphere region on Thursday, February 8th, making this piece a special spatial experience (Prinzregententheater, 8 p.m). The composer conducts.
Sets the pace: The French Marie Jacquot is designated chief conductor at the Royal Danish Theater in Copenhagen and the WDR Symphony Orchestra.
(Photo: Jörg Schimmel/Imago)
Women at the podium, in Bayreuth this year they are in the majority, and Joana Mallwitz, head of the Konzerthausorchester in Berlin since 2023, is enjoying enormous media hype there. So everything is fine in the Conductor INN world? Is the old autocrat with the baton finally history? Rather not. However, there are young women like that Marie Jacquot, she is principal guest conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, and from this fall she will also be chief conductor of the Royal Danish Theater in Copenhagen, and she was recently appointed chief conductor of the WDR Symphony Orchestra (from the 2026/2027 season). Now the Frenchwoman, born in 1990, is giving two concerts with the Munich Philharmonic in the Isarphilharmonie: on February 15th and 16th, the program includes works by Beethoven and Sibelius – and by the Norwegian composer Kristine Tjogersen.
Pianist Olga Scheps is considered to be very open-minded artistically; on her current album “Family” she combines Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn and Vivaldi with pop and music from family films such as “Toy Story” or “Finding Nemo”.
(Photo: Thomas Rabsch /Sony Music)
is it possible that Olga Scheps hasn’t given a concert in Munich for a while, it feels like years, but maybe it’s just pandemic-related memory lapses that are deceiving you. Anyway, now the Cologne native with Ukrainian and Russian roots is back. The pianist, who premiered a piano concerto composed by star violinist David Garrett last September and has also already performed the “Kirmestechno” (star) from Scooters recorded for the concert hall, will come to the concert hall on February 18th Princesincluding Beethoven’s “Pathétique”.
Mezzo-soprano Okka von der Damerau can be heard a lot in Munich this year: in February in Verdi’s “Messa da Requiem”, in May in “Tannhäuser” and with Mahler’s “Kindertotenlieder” – and of course in Bayreuth too.
(Photo: Simon Pauly)
When you Okka from Damerau last heard in Munich? Well, many classical music fans immediately think of one day, even if you wake them up in the middle of the night: It was October 8th, in the National Theater, at the concert event of the year, Kirill Petrenko conducted Mahler’s Eighth, and was there among the 400 people The mezzo-soprano, who is in demand around the world after leaving the Bavarian State Opera ensemble, was also on stage. A great musical experience is now also available Saturday, February 24th on, in the Isarphilharmonie: Verdi’s “Messa da Requiem”, Daniele Gatti conducts the Munich Philharmonic, the exquisite solo voices of the evening include Okka von der Damerau Marina RebeccaFrancesco Meli and Alex Esposito.