Star violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and the famous New York Philharmonic orchestra perform at the opening concert commemorating the victims of war and violence at the historic Peenemünde power plant where Nazis developed the first ballistic missiles. Today the musicians hope to send a signal of freedom, peace and diversity: „We musicians always play in protest of the madness of war. But we also play for the community to inspire hope, and in many cases, benefit concerts for Ukraine.” – Anne-Sophie Mutter.

Peace concerts have been held on northern Germany's Baltic Coast at the Usedom Music Festival for 20 years now. To mark this anniversary, organizers have invited New York Philharmonic Orchestra to perform there.

It was Usedom’ s music director, Thomas Hummel, yet to invite the New York Philharmonic to the three concerts – after all, the Nazis also targeted New York City: “It was a long standing wish for more than ten years. We invited the orchestra from the city that the Nazi also had planned to bombard. A picture is also hanging in the museum, a drawing of what the demotion would be of bombing New York.”

Joan Tower
1920/2019
(A Project19 Commission)

André Previn
Violin Concerto “Anne-Sophie”

Béla Bartók
Concerto for Orchestra

New York Philharmonic
Jaap van Zweden, conductor
Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin