Our next chapter of the event series Sustainable Listening together with Staatsoper Berlin combined culinary innovation and climate responsibility. Themed around the food system and the Planetary Health Diet, this unique gathering blended classical and electronic music, creating a sensory journey into the realms of food and sustainability.
Despite inflation hitting the gastronomy scene, Berlin continues to offer an impressive range of culinary delights from around the world and for different pockets. The city’s commitment to vegan and vegetarian cuisine is evident, although the numbers show there’s still progress to be made. With only 5% of restaurants being exclusively plant-based, and 20% offering vegetarian or vegan menus, Berlin’s food landscape reflects a growing, shift towards sustainable eating.
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by Claudio | Art, Music, Theater
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When I went to Berlin alone for the first time 24 years ago, one of the first places I visited was Potsdamer Platz. At that time I was insanely impressed by the architecture, the stores, all the cinemas, theaters, and restaurants. I felt as if I had been transported to the future. What they came up with for this historic place back then absolutely resonated with me.
This coming weekend, September 15-16, Potsdamer Platz is now celebrating its 25th anniversary with a big, free festival. A lot has happened in this quarter of a century. A whole neighborhood has developed around it, and the square as a whole is even busier and more active than when I first visited. In particular, the restructuring of the former Potsdamer Platz Arkaden into The Playce is probably the most striking recent change. It is the first mall in Berlin to undergo a major overhaul and attract visitors with a new concept.
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by Frank | Events, Food, Music
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One the past weekend Berlin once again saw its big annual free open-air opera event Staatsoper für Alle hosted at Bebelplatz by the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. Due to the pandemic, last year’s edition was held rather small offering the medical personal of the city a chance to view the live screening of the season’s premiere. This year, the event was still not back to its usual capacity of 40.000 people, but at least a few thousand citizens were able to join the two-day event.
Those of you who follow us, know we have been working with the Staatsoper now for several years, hosting the picnics at the Staatsoper für Alle events and creating video content for their social media channels. We were happy that we could join again in the festivities this year, but of course with one sad eye because it wasn’t in the shape of our famous picnic.
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by Frank | Events, Music
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With our recent Hangout event with Soundboks, we already got a taste of what it means to bring our own community back together this summer. And let me tell you, it was about time – because it felt damn good! We really missed just being together without a worry in the world and just enjoying ourselves with some laughs, good drinks, and dancing.
With their new event series On The Map, Soundboks wants to continue to make this happen for all the different communities around the artists and makers of the city. And by city I’m not only talking about Berlin, this year they are also expanding their activities to Hamburg and Stuttgart. And being a speaker brand what is most important to them is of course the music. So they invited some of the most talented rising talents to perform and invite their fan communities to come together for a good time. These events are made for those artists that couldn’t perform and those locations that couldn’t open during the pandemic – it’s time to bring them back on the map.
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by Frank | Events, Music, Party
photos: Roger Sabaté.
The other week I had a little personal dream come true: My favorite Berlin musician performed for us at one of my favorite Berlin places. The occasion was the Checkout Session concert series by Danish loudspeaker brand SOUNDBOKS – and I can’t say how grateful I am to them for making this happen. In the end, it was such a sweet gathering with a stunning performance – I couldn’t be happier.
When SOUNDBOKS approached me a while ago and asked me to curate a concert event for their Checkout Sessions, it didn’t take me even a second to pick the musician. I wanted Lie Ning to perform at one of our events the moment he debuted last year, so this was the perfect opportunity. Before he came out with his wonderful debut single Tonight, I had already known him as a contemporary dancer and model – I like to say muse even – but little did I know back then how much more talent we would witness from him. The Berlin-born artist really has a lot of facets and he obviously likes to have his fingers in many pies – a desire I can absolutely relate to.
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by Frank | Music
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In the last couple of years Berlin’s music scene has been cooking up so many amazing things, we’re always excited to stumble upon new talents with songs that blow us away. It feels like Berlin is really having its music moment now, and artists who are based here are getting the amount of international recognition last seen in the times of Bowie.
Danish loudspeaker brand – SOUNDBOKS – is as in love with the upcoming musicians of Berlin as we are, which is why they are hosting the Checkout Sessions this month at various cool venues all over the city, offering some much-needed live music experiences.
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by Frank | Events, Music
Jiyoon Lee – the first female concert master of Staatskapelle Berlin.
The life of a classical musician is formed by a pathway of hard work and sacrifice just to get a place in a great orchestra. But becoming an orchestra musician is neither about fame nor about becoming rich. It is really just about the privilege to create unique music for your audience. A work of art that only can exist through the power of the ensemble. Through the organic interfering of the different instruments to one voice, to one sound.
This sound had to stop for the last six months. Orchestras like many other artistic ensembles could not perform in public to keep each other and the audience safe from possible infections. Despite all hardships, one orchestra kept their spirit alive like no other.
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by Claudio | Music, Videos
Last night, three Berlin-based orchestras had planned to perform a concert at Vollgutlager in Neukölln playing the music of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 6th symphony. For reasons we are all well aware of, this could not happen, sadly. But the creative force of 70 musicians from the junge norddeutsche philharmonie, the STEGREIF.Orchester, and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin can’t be stopped so easily.
They got together with 3D artist and iHeartBerlin friend Lucas Gutierrez who created a stunning virtual sound performance that sees a cluster of recordings from the 70 musicians playing their parts embedded in a futuristic world that the camera zooms into. Using 360° video technology the viewer can pan around the world freely, exploring the details and viewing the individual musicians while enjoying the concert. It’s pretty cutting-edge and probably the most impressive “digital version” of a live event of this new contact-less era. We hope to see more things like that soon!
And now let’s lean back and enjoy the music of Beethoven!
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by Frank | Music, Videos
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We all have been there: Struggling with the apartment hunt or the job situation in Berlin, questioning the stability of your relationships or just being upset because the right twist to enjoy your everyday life is missing.
Listen, I can give you the quickest antidote to all this mental bullshit. It’s classical music. Believe me!
But let’s start the story from the beginning. For two years now we have been organizing a unique picnic for our readers and writers to enjoy the classic open-air event Staatsoper für Alle in collaboration with Staatsoper Berlin.
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by Claudio | Events, Music
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Classical Music is a special treat in your everyday life. If it would be a dish it would be like a delicacy you need days to prepare and as soon as you taste it you know that all the effort was worth it.
Berlin has many places to enjoy classical music. Some are prestigious and elegant, some are more unconventional. One unique setting we have enjoyed in the past two years is the open-air classic concert series Staatsoper für Alle. Organized by Staatsoper Berlin in collaboration with BMW there will be an Opera screening on the 15th and a live concert from the Staatskapelle on the 16th of June at Bebelplatz. And the best thing is: the concerts are completely free and accessible to everyone.
Last year we started the idea to offer a little special for our iHeartBerlin readers that are as into classical music as we are. Before the concert on the 16th at 13.00, we will provide a picnic starting at 11.30h with drinks and snacks for 3×2 readers that we will pick in a raffle. So you can listen to the concert on Sunday 16th and enjoy a delightful brunch with lots of sparkling wine and us as your hosts.
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by Claudio | Music, Theater
