Symphoniker im Foyer

In the stylish setting of the Düsseldorf Opera foyer, members of the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra, together with singers from the opera ensemble, explore both well-known and lesser-known masterpieces of chamber music.

This time, female composers take centre stage in the chamber music programme: Whilst names such as Clara Schumann or Fanny Hensel are now quite familiar, the biographies of artists such as Lili Boulanger, Régine Wieniawski or Mel Bonis usually have one thing in common: in the male-dominated art world of the 19th century, they were not taken seriously – or only with great difficulty – as musicians and composers, and were later forgotten – simply because they were women. Many even published under male pseudonyms just to have a chance at all. This is changing noticeably in the 21st century, and so the matinee can span the musical arc right up to the present day, represented by works by the composer Sarah Nemtsov.