Author: crudele-admin

Alessandro has had a special relationship with the Thüringen Philharmonie since his first appearance in 2018. Last year, he conducted the orchestra in an acclaimed concert at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. Now he returns to conduct them in their main season in Gotha and Eisenach on March 12 and 13.

The programme for the two evenings, entitled “Schicksal und Leidenschaft” (Fate and Passion), begins with Romeo and Juliet by Tchaikovsky, continues with Rachmaninov’s famous Piano Concerto No. 2, which will be performed by renowned German pianist Bernd Glemser, and ends with Tchaikovsky’s celebrated Fifth Symphony.

A frequent guest in Asia, Alessandro has earned an excellent reputation in China, where he has regularly conducted orchestras such as the Shenzhen Symphony, the Shanghai Philharmonic, and many others.
He is now making his long-awaited return to China for the opening of the 2026 Concert Season at the Jiangsu Grand Theatre, where he will conduct the Jiangsu Symphony Orchestra.

Located on the banks of the Yangtze River, Nanjing — the capital of Jiangsu Province — is one of China’s great cultural and historical centers, renowned for its rich heritage and vibrant contemporary arts scene. In recent years, the city has become an important musical hub, with the Jiangsu Grand Theatre standing out as a landmark venue and a focal point for international cultural exchange in eastern China.

The concert will take place on January 23rd and will feature Chinese pianist Tan Xiaotang, with whom Alessandro has collaborated in the past. He will conduct Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27 K595, the overture to La clemenza di Tito, and Brahms’ Fourth Symphony. 

On 24 May, Alessandro Crudele will make his debut at Hamburg’s prestigious Elbphilharmonie, one of the most iconic architectural landmarks of the city and one of the world’s most acclaimed concert halls. For the occasion, Alessandro will again conduct the Thüringen Philharmonie.

The programme includes pieces by Richard Strauss, Puccini, Mozart, Bellini, Verdi, Mascagni and Massenet and features Alexej Barchevitch (violin), Elena Moșuc (soprano) and Irakli Kakhidze (tenor) as soloists.

Alessandro enjoys a close working relationship with the Thüringen Philharmonie. Ever since he conducted it for the first time in 2018 and was then among the final candidates for the position of Chief Conductor, his concerts with the Thuringian ensemble have always been acclaimed by both the press and the players. In 2019, for example, his interpretation of Brahms’ Fourth was described with these words: “The tranquillity in the second movement of the symphony, the fire in the third, revealed him as a master of his field”. In 2020, the Thüringer Allgemeine newspaper wrote of his Opera Gala: “Was it because of the hall? Was it because of the conductor? The orchestra that we well know sounded differently, as if it had jumped to a higher level”.

Within the rich programme of this concert, Alessandro will conduct Mozart’s last symphony, the No. 41 “Jupiter”. In the past, his Mozart with the Thüringen Philharmonie was also acclaimed by the press: “Alessandro Crudele conjured up a beautiful Mozart with historic reminiscences”.

On November 25th and 26th, Alessandro toured Puglia (Italy) with the Philharmonia Orchestra, performing Beethoven’s Fidelio Overture, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 16 and Brahms’s Symphony No. 4.
Both Italian and English press highly acclaimed the concerts.

Ugo Sbisà wrote on La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno:

[…] Crudele was able to bring out those epic traits that alternate with moments of more quivering passion, without ever overdoing the expressive force.
In short, an intense and luminous Brahms, culminating in the long series of variations on the Chaconne of the concluding Allegro energetico e appassionato, in which the fine understanding between conductor and orchestra allowed the audience to appreciate the very high quality of every single section, starting with the brass and woodwind, of a decidedly ‘stellar’ level.

Michele Traversa wrote on LSDmagazine:

The Philharmonia Orchestra, under Crudele’s expert guidance, did justice to the complexity and harmonic richness of this great work [Brahms’s Fourth Symphony], displaying extraordinary cohesion and finesse. Crudele’s precise and inspired conducting guided his 80 musicians in a high-level performance, enhancing the individual qualities of each musician and crafting an enthralling concert experience.

Jon Jacob described the Barletta concert, dedicated to Carlo Maria Giulini, on Thoroughly Good:

Pianist Martin Helmchen sparkled in Mozart’s breezy piano concerto no. 16, his bright energetic sound complimented with splashes of detail from the woodwind in the first movement. 

Crudele’s disciplined approach pairs well with the Philharmonia’s characteristically reliable rigour.

Finally, there are several enthusiastic quotes from Colin Clarke‘s review on Classical Explorer: 

[…] the Beethoven and Brahms emerged with an invigorating freshness of approach thanks to the direction of the Milanese conductor Alessandro Crudele.

Helmchen and Crudele’s account could hardly be bettered. Miraculously, despite a large string quotient, Crudele ensured lightness and transparency from the orchestra.

[…] talking of togetherness, rarely have I heard the unison horns at the opening of the Andante moderato as if just one instrument was playing, just with a different colour to that of a single horn (and surely this is exactly what Brahms intended).

Brahms’ passacaglia masterclass was given just the right amount of space to breathe by Crudele while allowing the music to flow like Brahmsian lava.

But it was Crudele’s careful preparation for the trombone chorale entry that sealed the interpretation. The brass arrived as if we had been expecting them all the time, a moment of the utmost nobility.