»Brahms is like a home to me«

A remarkable conductor of our time is bringing a series to a close at the end of the 2026 Beethovenfest: Anja Bihlmaier is now in her third year as a guest in Bonn, working with a wide variety of orchestras and presenting exceptionally diverse programmes. With the BBC Symphony Orchestra, of which she has been chief conductor since 2024, she will present Lili Boulanger’s Psalm 24 and Johannes Brahms’s German Requiem.

Why did you choose these two pieces for the concert programme?

It has long been my dream to finally be able to conduct the Brahms Requiem. It is one of the few major works that I have not yet sung myself as a chorister. I am an absolute Brahms fan. Thanks to a scholarship from the Brahms Society, I was able to spend time studying at his former home in Hamburg. For me, alongside Beethoven, he is the composer who means the most to me. There is nothing superfluous in his music; everything is pure essence. His works are of magnificent beauty and balance. His choral sound, in particular, has a rounded, velvety quality. That always moves me deeply. The German Requiem is very modern: it is about consolation, not a scenario of horror. Lili Boulanger is also a radical and progressive composer. Her setting of the Psalms creates a dramatic contrast to Brahms’s work, which I find very appealing.

The theme of the 2026 Beethovenfest is ‘Home’. It sounds as though Brahms is a home for you.

Yes, he is. He has had a huge influence on my musical journey; for instance, he was part of the repertoire for my final exam in choral conducting. I have some truly unique memories associated with his music, such as an a cappella concert on a boat in a fjord in New Zealand. Wherever I conduct in the world, I very often include Brahms. That is also the culture in which I grew up and of which I am proud. And the Requiem in particular is surely his most ‘homely’ piece. That radiance that bursts forth in the finale. Or the central movement, »Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen« (‘How lovely are thy dwellings’). That ties in wonderfully with the festival’s theme.

Your concert brings together two works that touch on the theme of death. Do they convey different messages about death?

Lili Boulanger, sadly, died far too young from serious illnesses. She lived constantly under the threat of death. She also lived through the First World War and wrote Psalm 24 in the midst of it. It is almost like a cry for help to humanity – or a plea to reflect on what is actually happening at this time. It is not beautiful music; it is meant to shake us awake – it is dramatic and relentless. Brahms focuses more on the transcendental aspect of death. His Requiem speaks of a trust we may place in the beauty of life and tells us of another, spiritual world that lies beyond. Yet these contrasting approaches to the theme share a common humanistic underlying principle.

What challenges do these two works present to you as a conductor?

Conducting Boulanger requires a great deal of energy. There is almost something ritualistic about this piece, for which I must find a compact and penetrating sound. With Brahms, I seek fluidity. I need staying power for these linear melodies. For the choir, sustaining these phrases is technically a marathon. But this gives rise to an incomparable beauty. I sometimes perceive the sound of Brahms as a flower opening in fast motion. That requires discipline; you mustn’t throw yourself straight into it, but take a step back to let the poetry take effect. It has to grow out of you – with great love and great trust.

You are conducting the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, of which you are the principal conductor, and the Audi Youth Choir Academy. Why did you choose this choir?

Brahms wrote the Requiem in his early 30s. He was, in fact, still in the prime of his life. As I said, Boulanger was very young when she composed it. That’s why I thought of the Audi Youth Choir. It’s young voices that should sing this: both pieces represent the here and now, life and its beauty. And they show that one can already be thinking about the end, even now.

This festival marks the end of a three-year residency at Beethovenfest, during which you have worked with various orchestras. Are there differences in working with different orchestras? How do you continually adapt to a new ensemble?

In my job, I’m on the road with a different orchestra almost every week. So adapting to whoever I’m working with is part of my daily routine. It’s a form of communication – not just talking, but listening too. It’s not merely a matter of giving instructions that the musicians simply follow. I tend to convey an idea of how the piece should sound – but then it’s mainly about getting everyone on board. That’s different with every orchestra or project, of course. You have to feel it anew each time and experience it together. This leads to incredible experiences, which also take on a life of their own during the concert.

Is there anything from these three years as artist-in-residence that will stay with you in particular?

Last year was a highlight when we did a ‘side-by-side’ project: people from Bonn were able to play alongside the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin on the market square. It was brilliant; lots of the participants wrote to me afterwards to say thank you. For me, it feels like coming home when I can make music with people who share this passion. Now, of course, I’m looking forward to performing at the Beethovenhalle for the first time. I’ve never performed there before. Being able to perform Brahms’ Requiem on German Unity Day with my BBC orchestra and this wonderful young choir is something truly special.