In a completely new manner from before, Beethoven infused his second symphony with surprising effects. The orchestra swiftly switches between the faintest of whispers to thunderous outbursts in sudden turns. Here, wild humor and dramatic mood abound. Portuguese conductor Dinis Sousa leads the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra in this symphonic milestone.

The concert appropriately commences with an overture: Dvorák's powerful and darkly evocative Othello – one of three concert overtures Dvorák wrote to musically portray various aspects of human existence.

The young British pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason (born 2003) makes her debut with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. She is at the beginning of a flourishing career and performs here with the romantically grandiose piano concerto by American composer Florence Price (1887–1953) – music never before heard in Konserthuset.

Jeneba Kanneh-Mason is the sister of cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason – who performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – and pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason. Both have previously appeared at Konserthuset. They are three of seven extremely talented siblings often referred to as The Kanneh-Masons.

The young German-Romanian baritone Konstantin Krimmel won several competitions early in his career and is now part of the ensemble at the Bayerische Staatsoper. From 2021 to 2023, he was a BBC New Generation Artist.

Lied singing is an important part of his artistry, and he has recorded songs by composers such as Schubert and Silvestrov on a couple of CDs with pianist Hélène Grimaud. For his debut at Konserthuset, he performs songs by Brahms, Vaughan Williams, and Schubert.

Magnus Svensson is the artistic director of Konserthuset’s Lied concerts. In addition to concerts in the Nordic region and elsewhere in Europe, he has also performed in Russia and the US. Since 2012, he has also worked at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music with re-publishing older Swedish music.

Franz Schubert was only around 17–18 years old when he wrote his second symphony. Yet it is an impressive work in the spirit of Beethoven. In other words, it is music full of contrasts and captivating melodies.

The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra is led by Franz Welser-Möst, who in 2018 was awarded the title Eric Ericson Honorary Chair. Since 2020, he regularly conducts the orchestra. It is a collaboration that follows the bond that developed between the orchestra and conductor during the initial concerts together, and has deepened over the years.

A composer who holds a special place in Welser-Möst's heart is Richard Strauss. Here, he leads the orchestra in An Alpine Symphony, which, despite the title, is not a traditional symphony but a tone poem that depicts a dramatic journey up and down an Alpine mountain, with changing weather and nature immersions. To portray the adventure, Strauss prescribes an enormous orchestra – including cowbells, wind and thunder machines, and an extra-large brass section.