Odeonsplatz 2026: The Munich Philharmonic with Janine Jansen and Lahav Shani
Featuring Bruch's Violin Concerto and Mendelssohn's "Scottish" Symphony No. 3
Cast
Program notes
One of the highlights of the classical music summer calendar, the Munich Philharmonic's Klassik am Odeonsplatz series takes the world-renowned orchestra from the concert hall to the Odeonsplatz's airy open space, where they perform a selection of audience favorites under the stars. In 2026, Dutch violin star Janine Jansen joins the Munich Phil for a spellbinding performance of Bruch's superlatively passionate Violin Concerto, an irrestible blend of virtuosity and lyricism. Wagner's Overture for The Flying Dutchman opens the festivities with high drama on the stormy seas, evoking the titular ghost ship and themes of eternal love and loss with some of the composer's most distinctive leitmotifs. Maestro Lahav Shani — who officially takes the reins as the orchestra's chief conductor in 2026 — and the Munich Phil close out this edition of Klassik am Odeonsplatz with one of the best-loved of all Romantic symphonies: Mendelssohn's Third, known as the "Scottish" Symphony for its majestic evocation of windswept Highland hills and rocky shores.