An evening of intense musical exploration

For the symphony orchestra of the Bremen University of the Arts, the concert on 18 June 2025 was a resonant highlight of the summer semester. Under the direction of Professor Thomas Klug, the students presented a demanding programme spanning three musical eras – from Baroque concertos to late-Romantic symphonic music.

The evening also featured two concerto examinations – the highest artistic final assessments at the HfK – which were integrated into the first two parts of the programme with solo performances. Minghao Zhang (oboe) performed Johann Sebastian Bach’s Concerto in F major, BWV 1053, and Yu Mita (violin) Leonard Bernstein’s Serenade after Plato’s “Symposium”. Both works demanded not only technical precision and expressive range, but also a nuanced interplay between soloist and orchestra – an interaction that had been deliberately cultivated over an extended rehearsal and study phase.

After the interval, the programme continued with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 – a work of great symphonic density that challenged the students across the full orchestral ensemble. Tchaikovsky’s multi-layered musical language, alternating between themes of fate, waltz-like lyricism, and orchestral drama, brought the evening to a powerful conclusion.

The three works were not chosen arbitrarily: they exemplify how the function, conception, and expressive character of music have evolved over the centuries – from the courtly utility music of the Baroque era, through the intellectually driven concert works of the 20th century, to the emotionally charged tonal language of Romanticism. This exploration of musical tradition and development forms a central part of the curriculum in the orchestra programme at the HfK Bremen.

The concert evening thus represented not only a public performance, but also the culmination of an intensive artistic and educational process – carried by the collective achievement of the symphony orchestra, the solo examinations, and the musical direction of Professor Thomas Klug.

Save the Date: On 18 November 2025, the next orchestra concert of HfK Bremen will take place at the Tabakquartier – featuring the symphony orchestra and university choir under the direction of Professor Thomas Klug.