On 30 September 2026 the Wiener Konzerthaus hosts an anniversary concert dedicated to the composer's 89th birthday — a programme spanning all decades of his work.
Wiener Konzerthaus — Austria's main philharmonic stage — hosts Valentyn Sylvestrov's anniversary concert dedicated to his 89th birthday on 30 September 2026. The programme covers all six decades of the composer's work — from early avant-garde opuses of the 1960s (Fifth Symphony, 1980) through the mature 'weak style' of the 1990s (Postludia, 1990–1991) to the most recent war miniatures ('Kyiv Elegies', 2022–2024). Performing: Wiener Symphoniker under Lorenz Nasturica's baton, piano — Jörg Widmann (one of Sylvestrov's most renowned interpreters in Europe), soprano — Aniko Voitko. The programme consists of 9 works — three large symphonic, four chamber, and two song cycles. The evening's particular 'pearl' is the world premiere of 'Litanies for Lost Cities', written by the composer in Vienna throughout 2025 (see separate news). Sylvestrov will appear in person — he has lived in Vienna since 2023, having moved there after the first nine months of emigration in Berlin. The composer commented on the anniversary: 'At 89 I am not «living out» — I continue to listen to the silence from which music is born. Vienna's silence differs from Kyiv's, but it is also music.' The concert will be recorded for ECM Records.
