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Kölner Philharmonie

Kölner Philharmonie

Pops Orchestra & Crossover Concert

Defying Gravity: The Musical World Of Stephen Schwartz – Kölner Philharmonie, Cologne

Date
Friday, 9 October 2026
Time
20:00
Venue
Kölner Philharmonie
Address
Bischofsgartenstraße 1, 50667 Köln, Germany
City
Cologne
Price range
12 € – 64 €

About this event

This concert is a tribute to the career of composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, conceived and produced by Enda Markey. The WDR Funkhausorchester, under the musical direction of Guy Simpson, performs orchestral arrangements of Schwartz's best-known works spanning five decades for stage and screen. Director Annalisa Rossi gives the event a theatrical dimension beyond a standard orchestral pops program. The program draws from Wicked, Pippin, and Godspell, alongside film collaborations with Alan Menken for Disney’s Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, plus Schwartz’s score for The Prince of Egypt. Five featured vocalists—Merlin Fargel, Harriet Jones, Milica Jovanovic, Roberta Valentini, and Anton Zetterholm—share the repertoire in a revue format. Presented by Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) as part of the Kölner Philharmonie’s 2026/27 season, this German engagement of the international “Defying Gravity” concert format showcases the WDR Funkhausorchester as the resident ensemble.

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