The Berlin Philharmonic is set to perform in London tonight and tomorrow at the Proms. This follows their recent appearance closing the Edinburgh International Festival, which was their first visit to Scotland in over two decades.
The orchestra, along with chief conductor Kirill Petrenko, are regular visitors to the Proms, with their Royal Albert Hall concerts often highlighted as season highlights. Tonight's programme features Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony paired with Elgar’s Enigma Variations. Tomorrow, the orchestra will perform Beethoven’s Violin Concerto alongside Scriabin’s Third Symphony.
Often hailed as "the best orchestra in the world," the Berlin Philharmonic has a controversial history, having been the Nazi-sponsored Reichsorchester in 1933. Its four Jewish members were forced into exile, and its performances were used for political ends.
In the post-war years, conductor Herbert von Karajan helped present the orchestra as a symbol of de-Nazified modernity. The orchestra also pioneered recording and film technology, and its Digital Concert Hall is now a model for streaming concerts.