Berlin, July 3rd, 2026 (The Berlin Spectator) – The Kansas City Symphony orchestra is crossing the Atlantic Ocean, in order to play special concerts in three European cities: Amsterdam, Hamburg and Berlin. It all starts with a performance on their home turf, on August 21st. At the Helzberg Hall, inside the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City, they will be playing Neuwirth, Copland and Tchaikovsky in what they call a European Tour Send-Off Concert. The violinist Blake Pouliot is the soloist of the night, Matthias Pintscher the conductor.
A few days later, dozens of orchestra members will be flown to Amsterdam, where they are scheduled to hit the stage at the Concertgebouw. In the Netherlands, the Kansas City Symphony will be teaming up with the American-Israeli violinist Gil Shaham. This performance includes Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major.
The composer wrote this piece in the spring of 1878 while enjoying a stay at Lake Geneva, after a crisis caused by health issues and his unhappy marriage. Even though Tchaikovsky changed entire sections around, it took him only three weeks to finalize the Concerto. Its world premiere either took place 1879 in New York or 1881 in Vienna.
Blake Pouliot Takes Over
Before this Russian piece, Aaron Copland’s Suite from Appalachian Spring is listed on the program leaflet. Some contrast doesn’t hurt, right? Nor does playing an American ballet composed in 1945, which was turned into an orchestra piece. For this purpose, the arrangement was changed by Copland himself. This concert evening in Amsterdam will end with another Russian composer: Sergei Rachmaninoff wrote his Symphony No. 3 in A minor, a three-movement composition for orchestra, in 1935 and 36.
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How the tour manager intends to get all orchestra members to Hamburg in conductor Pintscher’s home country within a few hours is unclear. But they have to be at the wonderful Elbphilharmonie on August 29th. No excuses. This relatively new venue is situated right in the middle of the Port of Hamburg. At the Grosse Saal, the Kansas City Symphony will be presenting the same fascinating program as they did in Amsterdam.
Then, another day later, it is time for the third and last concert in Berlin, which is part of the Musikfest. Instead of Gil Shaham, Blake Pouliot is the soloist again. They will be presenting two compositions by Olga Neuwirth again, instead of Copland. Obviously, this will be a stunning concert as well.
The Kansas City Symphony was founded in 1982. Pintscher took over as conductor and musical director ahead of the 2024/25 season. Is this the first time the orchestra performs in Europe? Nope.
The Kansas City Symphony
August 28th, 2026: Amsterdam, Concertgebouw (Tickets)
August 29th, 2026: Hamburg, Elbphilharmonie (Tickets)
August 30th, 2026: Berlin, Philharmonie (Tickets)
