Symphonic Ecstacy
1 February 2026
Symphonic Ecstasy presents masterpieces of classical music with a sparkling, modern twist.
During this special concert you will hear, among other works, Bernstein’s Candide Overture, Poulenc’s Gloria, and Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. The atmospheric light show is created by Patrick Kramer, BLØF’s resident lighting designer for over 25 years, who brings a magical and almost hallucinatory ambience to the performance.
The concert is performed by a symphony orchestra of more than eighty passionate musicians, a mixed choir of eighty singers, and top soloist Tomoko Makuuchi (soprano). The composers featured in the programme were known for their spirit of experimentation and were often inspired by mind-altering influences. Leonard Bernstein even described Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique as “the first musical trip in the history of music, 130 years before The Beatles”. The playful title Symphonic Ecstasy refers to this ba…
During this special concert you will hear, among other works, Bernstein’s Candide Overture, Poulenc’s Gloria, and Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. The atmospheric light show is created by Patrick Kramer, BLØF’s resident lighting designer for over 25 years, who brings a magical and almost hallucinatory ambience to the performance.
The concert is performed by a symphony orchestra of more than eighty passionate musicians, a mixed choir of eighty singers, and top soloist Tomoko Makuuchi (soprano). The composers featured in the programme were known for their spirit of experimentation and were often inspired by mind-altering influences. Leonard Bernstein even described Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique as “the first musical trip in the history of music, 130 years before The Beatles”. The playful title Symphonic Ecstasy refers to this background: an ecstatic experience without pills or opium, in which the music itself fires the imagination.
The experience is further enhanced by an impressive light show by Patrick Kramer, assisted by students of Stage and Event Technology from Firda, who together transform both the concert hall and the foyer into a true festival setting. The result is an evening in which classical music feels as if it were brand new.
