1 conductor, 2 cities, 2 orchestras, 9 symphonies, more than 200 performers
„ “The Beethoven Marathon” – one of the biggest cultural events in the world in 2022, is the brainchild of Gabriel Feltz, joint chief conductor of the Belgrade and Dortmund Philharmonic orchestras, which took place in Dortmund (June 19) and in Novi Sad (June 26) as the central project of the European capital of culture. One conductor, two European cities, two orchestras, nine symphonies and a total of 10 concerts culminated in a grand finale at the Petrovaradin Fortress, with more than 200 performers and 7,000 listeners at an open-air concert.
One of a kind event in the world of classical music, The Beethoven Marathon, consisted of performances of all of Beethoven’s symphonies, alternately played by the Belgrade and Dortmund Philharmonics, from morning to evening. In the Ninth Symphony, they were joined by the Slovak Philharmonic Choir, and soloists Ana Malesza-Kutny, Michaela Selinger, Young Woo Kim, and Robert Bork.
“When I created this idea, my main motive was not an endurance competition in the sense of the performing endeavor, who can last longer. It was the feeling, the unique experience, as well as mental and physical experience of the glorious progress of Beethoven’s genius mind, from his first until his last symphony. Also, we convey to our audience the message of humanity, harmony and joy of music-making between players of different nations. It is an immense contribution and a very important gesture of us, artists, in these difficult times – says the Chief Conductor Gabriel Feltz, the author of the Beethoven Marathon concept.“
