JOANA MALLWITZ & KONZERTHAUSORCHESTER BERLIN
THE INAUGURAL CONCERT

Once again, there it was, that superlative quality that has accompanied Joana Mallwitz for so many years: she was to become the first female principal conductor of a major Berlin orchestra and, accordingly, the first woman to hold this position in the history of the Konzerthausorchester. For the festive inaugural concert on August 31, 2023, she made use of this very adjective and carried three first symphonies in her luggage: Prokofiev, Weill and Mahler. This carefully thought-out program reflects tradition and new beginnings, down-to-earthiness and a breath of fresh air, curiosity and surprise. The anticipation and expectation were big in the German capital. The concert evening had all the ingredients for an outstanding international event and it did not disappoint: the audience thanked Mallwitz and the orchestra with a standing ovation and the critics labeled her inaugural concert “a triumph.” (Süddeutsche Zeitung)