Augsburg Philharmonic starts with »Restart« at Kongress am Park

A grand kickoff for the new symphony season in Augsburg

With the 1st Symphony Concert »Restart«, the Augsburg Philharmonic will open a season on September 29, 2026, at the Kongress am Park, focusing on fresh starts, excitement, and grand symphonic imagery. The program features Brahms, Shostakovich, and an evening that places the full impact of live sound at its center. Soloist cellist Alban Gerhardt is announced, with Gábor Hontvári conducting. ([kongress-augsburg.de](https://www.kongress-augsburg.de/besuchen/?utm_source=openai))

A program between liberation and new beginnings

The title »Restart« sets the tone for the evening: The festive »Academic Festival Overture« by Johannes Brahms, Dmitri Shostakovich's 1st Cello Concerto, and Brahms' 1st Symphony create a drama of fresh starts, tension, and triumph. The concert thus becomes a symphonic arc of tension that shapes great orchestral movements from quiet impulses. Shostakovich's concerto was created during the political thaw and is regarded as a work full of energy; Brahms' First, in turn, marked the composer’s definitive step out of Beethoven's shadow. ([kongress-augsburg.de](https://www.kongress-augsburg.de/besuchen/?utm_source=openai))

Live atmosphere at Kongress am Park

The congress hall of the Kongress am Park offers an impressive framework for such evenings. According to event documents, the hall can accommodate up to 1,405 guests in row seating; wheelchair spaces, disabled toilets, ground-level catering, and an induction loop are also available. This makes the hall perfectly prepared for a major concert evening, both acoustically and organizationally. Doors open at 6:00 PM, the concert starts at 7:30 PM, and concludes at 10:00 PM. ([kongress-augsburg.de](https://www.kongress-augsburg.de/fileadmin/daten/Downloads_Dokumente/Kongress_am_Park_Imagebrosch%C3%BCre_barrierefrei_ua.pdf))

Alban Gerhardt as a powerful center

With Alban Gerhardt, an internationally sought-after cellist takes the stage, whose name stands for technical precision, expressiveness, and musical authority. Combined with the orchestration of the two Brahms works and Shostakovich's angular cello concerto, the evening promises not just mere repertoire maintenance but a genuine concert experience with clear dramaturgy, vibrant acoustics, and intense audience atmosphere. The Augsburg Philharmonic thus opens the season with a program that presents classical music not in a museum-like way but as immediate and contemporary. ([kongress-augsburg.de](https://www.kongress-augsburg.de/besuchen/?utm_source=openai))

Fans' voices

The reactions online show the anticipatory proximity to the venue: The Augsburg State Theater is officially present on Instagram and Facebook, digitally accompanying the concert evening. However, there are no specific fan quotes about the event available in verifiable search results. ([]())

Conclusion: The 1st Symphony Concert »Restart« combines symphonic might, a celebrated soloist, and the special atmosphere of Kongress am Park. Anyone wanting to experience great classical music with palpable tension should not miss this evening in Augsburg. ([kongress-augsburg.de](https://www.kongress-augsburg.de/besuchen/?utm_source=openai))

Official channels of Augsburg Philharmonic / Augsburg State Theater:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staatstheater_augsburg
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theateraugsburg
• YouTube: no official profile found
• Spotify: no official profile found
• TikTok: no official profile found

Sources:

• Augsburg State Theater - Concert Season 2026/27
• Kongress am Park - Event Detail 1st Symphony Concert: Restart
• Kongress am Park - Visitor Infrastructure and Accessibility
• Kongress am Park - Image brochure and room data
• Augsburg State Theater - Augsburg Philharmonic
• Augsburg State Theater - Season 2026/27 Press Release