Berliner Philharmonie
Berliner Philharmonie things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
Plan your stay
&promo_pic=/one-page/coolest.jpg)
Posts
Not only is the Berlin Philharmonic one of the top orchestras of the world, seeing them on their home-turf proved to be a very special experience. The Berliner Philharmonie (concert hall) is the orchestra's home base on the southern edge of the Tiergarten and just west of the former Berlin Wall. It is a wonderful and innovative example of 1960s organic and expressionist architecture designed by Bauhaus architect Bernhard Hans Henry Scharoun (1893-1972). For me, the beautifully innovative features are inside the Grand Hall (Großer Saal) with 2,440 seats, completed in 1963. First, the building is asymmetrical and tent-like, with the main concert hall in the shape of a pentagon. The stage is at the centre of the hall, surrounded by seating on all sides, and it has amazingly crisp acoustics. The height of the rows of seats increases irregularly with distance from the stage, creating a visual effect like terraces on a hillside. The so-called vineyard-style seating arrangement (with terraces rising around a central orchestral platform) was pioneered here, and it became a model for other concert halls, including the Sydney Opera House (1973). The architect's idea being that if you break up the audience into organic, semi-enclosed sections, over time, the season ticket-holders form small 'communities' within the whole.... And funnily enough when I attended a Daniel Barenboim concert here, a couple of long-standing audience members in front of me turned around and engaged in a conversation which we extended at half-time on the balcony outside. The concert was the 50th anniversary of Daniel Barenboim conducting the orchestra; and the program of Haydn, Beethoven and Schumann had me almost in tears it was so beautiful! Fun facts: booking online is a breeze; the Prosseco served in the large rambling foyer is excellent; when you're at the bar check out the modernist mosaic floor (rather worn out, but still charming where it's intact); and the orchestra usually releases video of the whole performance on their website in the days following the concert.
Rob the Art TeacherRob the Art Teacher
20
We recently visited Berlin and were able to attend a performance by the Berliner Philharmoniker at their home venue - Philharmonie at Kulturforum south of Tiergarten. During the evening, Alan Gilbert conducted a delightful violin concerto by Béla Bartók which was masterfully played out by Frank Peter Zimmermann. We were also treated with John Adams (Short Ride in a Fast Machine) and (Lollapalooza) before finishing the evening with Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 in F minor op. 36. It was a great evening listening to what is no doubt - one of the finest orchestras in the world. The peculiar Philharmonie venue itself is worth a brief mention as well. We were intrigued with the exterior architecture and appearance of the building here at Kulturforum. It is bright yellow in colour with a metallic like glimmer when viewed in the sun. You will see numerous angular lifts, almost like SE Asian temples and other abnormal configurations which produce a strange yet interesting outer appearance to the building. Not sure if I liked it that much but I certainly remember it well, whereas other concert halls visited elsewhere are not so easy to recall. The interior of Phiharmonie is multiple floor and modern. Seating is comfortable and the acoustics very good. We sat rather high in the concert hall but the music travelled very well throughout. In the end, this was a very good experience and we were glad to have attended another performance by the Berliner Philharmoniker. They are quite special. Note: Do make ticket reservations online prior to arriving in Berlin. You can do this by way of the Berliner Philharmoniker website.
BradBrad
10
Beautifully acoustically perfect venue with virtually no bad seat possible for listening to a whole raft of music genres. If you are into music and live in Berlin, this is a must visit. Cheaper seats at the top are still fantastic for sound, so you don't need to spend a lot for the front row. There are cloakrooms on more than one level, so don't panic and queue up on the ground floor. There are less queues the higher you go. Book in advance and try late availability as it's hardly ever completely full. One other tip would be to really look at your tickets and take note of where you will be sitting as I have been twice now and on both occasions we saw people being moved as they were sitting in the wrong seat. These were not tourists, but Germans, but even so, for us non Germans please note that in Germany they split auditoriums like this into rechts(right} or links(left) and label seats identically in both. In other words, there are 2 seats with the same seat number on them. There is a map just by main entrance on the left as you go into the building, and this has proven very helpful. Arrive 30 mins before the performance and enjoy.
Christakis PsyllidesChristakis Psyllides
00
The best concert hall in the world. Sublime orchestra. Just a pity it is so elitist even though it is primarily funded by taxpayers. Unfortunately it is the home of completely entitled elderly white men although recently it it looking more "international", as music should be. The Digital concert hall has the potential to introduce classical music to brand new audiences. Politically there is a failure of will. I have been going to this concert hall every year for nearly 25 years and I have yet to see any significant, successful outreach. For eg. although Berlin has one of the largest Turkish speaking populations in the world, there is not a single sign, program or brochure in Turkish. Now with the AfD becoming mainstream, their "monoculturists" will prevail.
Mer G. Mai MaiMer G. Mai Mai
00
Six stars, if I could!! The hall is spectacular inside, if a little odd outside, but only in the daylight. The interior is a miracle of competing angles all coming together to achieve a harmony of visual and auditory integration. We sat all the way at the rear of the hall in section C and were afraid the sound would be buried. Far from it, Lisa Batiashvili’s Guarneri violin 🎻 was clear and sweet, punctuating a resounding performance by the Berlin Philharmonic. My only criticism of the hall concerns the toilet facilities. I was shocked to go to the only men’s room serving presumably about a fifth of the hall’s visitors..and discover there were only two urinals, and a one of about thirty people waiting at intermission. Come prepared!
Reginald WilliamsReginald Williams
10
Die Berliner Philharmonie ist zweifellos eine der renommiertesten Konzerthallen der Welt. Mit ihrer einzigartigen Architektur und ihrer herausragenden Akustik bietet sie ein unvergleichliches Musikerlebnis. Das charakteristische Design, entworfen von Hans Scharoun, fasziniert mit seiner organischen Form und den markanten goldenen Akustiksegeln, die den Klang im Saal perfekt verteilen. Der Große Saal der Philharmonie ist der Hauptspielort und beeindruckt mit seiner runden Form, die eine intime Atmosphäre schafft und eine enge Verbindung zwischen den Musikern und dem Publikum ermöglicht. Die Akustik ist einfach phänomenal - jeder Ton wird klar und präzise wiedergegeben, was zu einer außergewöhnlichen Hörerfahrung führt. Das Repertoire der Berliner Philharmoniker ist ebenso beeindruckend wie die Konzerthalle selbst. Unter der Leitung von erstklassigen Dirigenten wie Sir Simon Rattle und Kirill Petrenko bieten die Musiker ein breites Spektrum an musikalischen Genres, von klassischer Musik über zeitgenössische Stücke bis hin zu Jazz und Weltmusik. Die Konzerte sind von höchster Qualität und begeistern das Publikum mit ihrer Virtuosität und Leidenschaft. Neben dem Großen Saal bietet die Philharmonie auch den Kammermusiksaal, der für kleinere Ensembles und Kammermusikvorstellungen genutzt wird. Dieser Saal zeichnet sich durch seine intime Atmosphäre und seine hervorragende Akustik aus und bietet eine einzigartige Möglichkeit, die Künstler aus nächster Nähe zu erleben. Die Berliner Philharmonie ist nicht nur für ihre Konzerte bekannt, sondern auch für ihre Bildungsprogramme und Workshops, die Menschen jeden Alters die Möglichkeit geben, sich mit Musik auseinanderzusetzen und ihr musikalisches Wissen und ihre Fähigkeiten zu erweitern. Dieses Engagement für die musikalische Bildung ist bewundernswert und trägt zur kulturellen Vielfalt und Entwicklung der Stadt Berlin bei.
Ayumi HelmoldAyumi Helmold
00
Nearby Attractions Of Berliner Philharmonie
Brandenburg Gate
Potsdamer Platz
Mall of Berlin
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Tiergarten
The Playce
German Spy Museum
Platz der Republik
LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Berlin
Neue Nationalgalerie
Brandenburg Gate
4.7
(52.4K)Click for details
Potsdamer Platz
4.4
(23.5K)Click for details
Mall of Berlin
4.4
(18.5K)Click for details
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
4.6
(16.9K)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Berliner Philharmonie
AMRIT
Lindenbräu am Potsdamer Platz
Lobby Lounge & Bar Hotel Adlon
Teras
Alt-Berliner Wirtshaus
MAREDO
Sticks'n'Sushi
Steel Vintage Bikes Café
mama trattoria Berlin Mitte
Viet Bowl
AMRIT
4.4
(3.5K)Click for details
Lindenbräu am Potsdamer Platz
4.1
(2.2K)Click for details
Lobby Lounge & Bar Hotel Adlon
4.6
(1.8K)$$$$
Click for details
Teras
4.7
(3K)Click for details
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
Herbert-von-Karajan-Straße 1, 10785 Berlin, Germany
Map
Phone
+49 30 254880
Call
Website
berliner-philharmoniker.de
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.8
(4.5K reviews)
Ratings & Description
attractions: Brandenburg Gate, Potsdamer Platz, Mall of Berlin, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Tiergarten, The Playce, German Spy Museum, Platz der Republik, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Berlin, Neue Nationalgalerie, restaurants: AMRIT, Lindenbräu am Potsdamer Platz, Lobby Lounge & Bar Hotel Adlon, Teras, Alt-Berliner Wirtshaus, MAREDO, Sticks'n'Sushi, Steel Vintage Bikes Café, mama trattoria Berlin Mitte, Viet Bowl
- Please manually select your location for better experience