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Symphony Concert

Dvořák 7

Jess Gillam on saxophone and Dvořák's "Best"

4/17

Friday | 4/17/2026
7:00 pm Start of Concert
Concert introduction with Dr. Michael Kube 1 hour before the concert starts in the hall of the Central Library (1st floor).
Kulturpalast, Konzertsaal

Prices
from 64 | 53 | 45 | 39 | 29 | 22 €
FLEX fee + 6 €
Reduced prices:
from € 10 for pupils under 18 
from €10 for young people under 30
from 11 € for Dresden-Pass and SB from GdB 80
Who receives discounts? Read here.

About the Concert

At the center of the concert evening is the brilliant Jess Gillam, one of the most exciting musicians of our time. With her soprano saxophone, she combines technical virtuosity and charismatic stage presence like rarely seen. Two works put the saxophone in the spotlight: Dave Heath's "The Celtic" and James MacMillan's Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and String Orchestra. Both works are tailor-made for Jess Gillam. Heath's "The Celtic" combines Celtic melancholy with rhythmic energy, while MacMillan's work explores the boundaries of the instrument's timbres and expressive possibilities. His most famous is certainly the Ninth, but for many, Antonín Dvořák's Seventh Symphony is his best. This music feels rugged and melancholic, yet compact and strict. There is no superfluous note here, every motif is worked through, every counterpoint has something to say. No question: this is not cozy folk music from a Bohemian village tavern, but highly concentrated symphonic music in the spirit of Beethoven and Brahms.

Program

James MacMillan (Composer in Residence)
Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Strings

David "Dave" Heath
"The Celtic" Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Strings

Antonín Dvořák
Symphony No. 7 in D minor

Artists

Paolo Bortolameolli
Conductor
Jess Gillam
Saxophone
Dresdner Philharmonie

Biographies

Paolo Bortolameolli

The Chilean-Italian conductor Paolo Bortolameolli is Music Director of the Ópera Nacional de Chile and the Filarmónica de Santiago as well as the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional Juvenil in Chile. For some years, he was Associate Conductor of the LA Phil, where he was also able to pursue his passion for contemporary music, including the world premiere of Meredith Monk's inventive opera “Atlas” in 2019. As a creative mind, he also puts a lot of energy into music education projects.

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Jess Gillam

Jess Gillam made history in 2018 when she became the youngest soloist ever to perform at the Last Night of the Proms. The British saxophonist has since become a force to be reckoned with in the saxophone world, delighting her fans with her extraordinary temperament and bubbly personality. She loves making music together with other people, which is why she founded the Jess Gillam Ensemble. She is also a TV and radio presenter, including on BBC Radio 3 with her own program “This Classical Life”.

read biography

Dresdner Philharmonie

Top Class!

Top class! That is the claim of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestra stands for concerts at the highest artistic level, musical education for all ages and looking beyond the musical horizon. Guest performances on almost every continent and collaborations with guests from all over the world have established the reputation of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra in the international classical music world.  

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