Johannes Brahms

1833 - 1897

German

Biography

German composer Johannes Brahms was born on May 7th 1833 in Hamburg to a Lutheran family. His popularity and influence are both significant and he is often grouped with J.S. Bach and Beethoven as one of the ‘Three Bs’. His works are often seen as an impressive balance of traditional and innovative. His evince the roots of Baroque and Classical structures and compositional techniques and a masterful grasp of counterpoint. He is alleged to have aimed to honour the ‘purity’ of these ‘German’ structures and bring them into the Romantic idiom, whilst also forging new approaches towards harmony and melody. Whilst some have criticised Brahms’ works as too academic, their comments have been opposed by some of the most significant composers of the twentieth century. The beautifully formed and constructed nature of Brahms’ works can be seen as the starting point and inspiration to an entire generation of composers.

Performances

9th December 2025

PERFORMERS
Saratoga Strings
CONDUCTOR
Michael Boitz
LOCATION
McaFee, Saratoga, CA, United States of America

31st December 2025

PERFORMERS
Orchestra dell'Arena di Verona
CONDUCTOR
Francesco Ommassini
LOCATION
Teatro Filarmonico Verona, Verona, Italy

10th January 2026

PERFORMERS
Sinfonia ViVA
CONDUCTOR
Jonathan Bloxham
LOCATION
Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, United Kingdom

13th January 2026

PERFORMERS
Wiener Symphoniker
CONDUCTOR
Petr Popelka
LOCATION
Musikverein, Vienna, Austria

15th January 2026

PERFORMERS
Luzerner Sinfonieorchester
CONDUCTOR
Christoph Eschenbach
LOCATION
Kultur- und Kongresszentrum, Lucerne, Switzerland

Photos

Discography