Raphaela Gromes with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Edward Gardner – Germany Tour 2025
Following the short-notice cancellation by Sheku Kanneh-Mason due to an injury to his left hand, Raphaela Gromes stepped in spontaneously as soloist for the concerts with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Thanks to her immediate availability, the programme was able to proceed as originally planned, without any changes.
In the concerts on 2 December at the Alte Oper Frankfurt, 5 December at the Kölner Philharmonie, and 7 December 2025 at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Raphaela Gromes appeared in Camille Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto No. 1 as an attentive and finely attuned musical partner to the orchestra. The collaboration with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Edward Gardner was marked by a clear musical dialogue and a balanced overall sound. Already in the opening work by Edward Elgar, the orchestra was able to unfold its rich and colourful sound world under Gardner’s baton.
A special moment of the evenings was shaped by Raphaela Gromes together with the orchestra’s cellists in the encore: Tropar by Hanna Havrylets. This short, intense work gave the concerts a calm and focused conclusion.
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©Susanne Baade -
©Susanne Baade -
©Susanne Baade
The following reviews reflect the reception of the performances.
"Gromes blended into Edward Gardner’s taut reading of Camille Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto No. 1(premiered in 1873) so seamlessly that it seemed to go without saying. In this supple yet exhilarating work, it remained an open question who was leaning into whom: the soloist into the animated tutti, or the large orchestral body into the newcomer. In any case, the performance came across as if cast from a single mold."
December 3, 2025, Frankfurter Rundschau, Judith von Sternburg (Link)
"Even in the many fast passages, she consistently maintained a sense of lightness, as if telling a story rather than merely working through notes."
"The London Philharmonic under Edward Gardner showed Frankfurt what orchestral excellence means. And Raphaela Gromes impressively demonstrated that a last-minute replacement can sometimes be the most beautiful gift."
December 4, 2025, Klassik-begeistert.de, Dirk Schauß (Link)
"On concert night, the Munich native masters the steep cliffs of the score with technical perfection and dynamic.“
"Gromes impresses with well-considered phrasing, enriched by subtle lyrical moments."
"She interacts with the musicians as if they were familiar partners on stage."
December 4, 2025, Frankfurter Neue Presse, Manfred Merz
"So simple and yet so profound that it seems to make time stand still."
"Then comes silence, so complete one could hear a pin drop, before a moment rarely experienced after an encore unfolds: thunderous, jubilant applause and standing ovations from almost the entire audience. If one were to single out the highlight of the evening, this was undoubtedly it."
December 7, 2025, Klassik-begeistert.de, Daniel Janz (Link)
"From the very first note, she threw herself into the virtuoso piece, savoring every moment with a gentle, velvety warmth of tone, constantly interacting with everything the orchestra had to offer. Everything seemed so easy, so effortless. Felt, not just played."