Blog
Looking back: Aufbruch!
Two evenings, one programme: with Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto and the “Eroica”, the SDO opened its first season of its own – in Aalen and in the Mozartsaal of the Liederhalle Stuttgart.
Sat 26 Sep 2026 · Stadthalle Aalen, Main Hall
Sun 27 Sep 2026 · Liederhalle Stuttgart, Mozartsaal
Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73 · Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55 “Eroica”
Piano: Lisi Namchevadze · Conductor: Patrick Giesel
On 27 September the time had come: with the season opening “Aufbruch!” in the Mozartsaal of the Liederhalle Stuttgart, the Süddeutsches Sinfonieorchester opened its very first season of its own. For such a young orchestra this is a special moment – and hardly any title could have suited the evening better.
The Stadthalle Aalen got things under way the evening before: on 26 September the programme was heard there in front of an audience for the first time. With that concert behind us, we travelled to Stuttgart the next day.
Our first season is built around the guiding theme “Being human. Becoming human.” In four symphony concerts we tell of the great milestones of a life – from departure through crises and upheavals to the question of what remains at the end. At the beginning of this path stands the Aufbruch: the time of ideals, of curiosity and of the belief that one can shape the world.
Hardly any composer embodies this spirit as much as Ludwig van Beethoven. His Fifth Piano Concerto radiates self-assurance, freedom and creative power. At the piano sat Lisi Namchevadze, who, as the first Artist in Residence in the history of the SDO, is shaping the whole season with us. With her, this evening marked the beginning not only of the season but also of a collaboration we have been greatly looking forward to.
After the interval came Beethoven’s Third Symphony, the “Eroica”. Originally dedicated to a hero, it tells of a human being who grows with his tasks and follows his path with determination – from the powerful first movement through the famous funeral march to the life-affirming finale. Under the baton of our Music Director Patrick Giesel, the whole orchestra could feel how much this new beginning means to us.
And the audience went with us: the atmosphere in the Mozartsaal was excellent from the very first note. This enthusiasm carried us through the evening and is the finest start we could have wished for our first season.
We thank everyone who joined us in Aalen and Stuttgart, as well as all the patrons and helpers who made this season opening possible. And the journey continues: on 16 December the second symphony concert, “Zeitenbruch!”, follows in the Mozartsaal – again with Lisi Namchevadze, this time with Bach’s Piano Concerto in D minor.
Süddeutsches Sinfonieorchester, November 2026