For a long time, Johannes Brahms struggled with his First Symphony; yet the piece would ultimately establish him as the leading symphonist of his era. Dark, full of tension and yet deeply heartfelt, his First is regarded as the epitome of the late Romantic symphony. Kirill Petrenko and the Berliner Philharmoniker open the 2025/26 season with this masterpiece. The evening begins with Robert Schumann’s passionate  Manfred Overture. A striking contrast comes with Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s virtuosic Oboe Concerto, with the solo part performed by Albrecht Mayer, principal oboist of the Berliner Philharmoniker