Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Danish Culture Special
Copenhagen Philharmonic at Tivoli. Photo: Martin Bubandt
Tivoli Youth Gard at main gate. Photo: Claudia Dons
Harmony and high notes at Tivoli Most visitors to Denmark will hear of Denmark’s most visited attraction Tivoli, the magical pleasure garden located smack-bang in the centre of Copenhagen. Opened in 1843, Tivoli is the world’s second-oldest amusement park – and the only one with its own symphony orchestra. Music and performance have always been part of Tivoli’s magic, and today, visitors can enjoy anything from rock concerts to the world’s most renowned classical musicians on a daily basis. By Louise Older Steffensen
The hiring of the Danish composer Hans Christian Lumbye, the ‘Strauss of the North’, to be musical director in 1843 highlights the important role that classical music has played at Tivoli from the very beginning. It is something Lumbye’s modern counterpart, Maria Frej, wishes to emphasise during her own directorship. “Classical music is for everyone. Just like Tivoli itself, there’s such great variety and people of all ages and tastes can find something they enjoy,” she says. “One of our favourite things is grandparents bringing their grandchildren for a day of magic at Tivoli, and introducing them to classical music as a natural part of that experience.” Tivoli features its own hugely talented Tivoli Youth Gard, whose daily parades are a mainstay of a Tivoli visit, as well as 32 | Issue 113 | June 2018
six musical venues, including the classic concert hall, a glass-hall theatre and a pantomime theatre dating back to 1874. This summer, the large open-air stage Plænen hosts musicians including a-ha and Mew for its weekly Friday Rock concerts – free with admission to Tivoli – while Tivoli’s Concert Hall welcomes the New York City Ballet, the Russian National Orchestra and many others. “We’re lucky to be able to host internationally renowned artists from near and far, from opera singers to jazz musicians,” Frej adds. She has made regular events a priority, with each day of the week assigned a theme such as Mundo Mondays, Jazz Wednesdays and Swing Saturdays. They also put on high-quality classical concerts at 3pm every Sunday. “We’ve got 27 classical concerts over the
summer, featuring stars such as pianist András Schiff treating us to Bach and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra conducted by the legendary Daniel Barenhoim.” For younger audiences, this summer brings parades and special Youth Guard concerts to celebrate Tivoli’s 175th anniversary. “Tivoli deserves to be celebrated,” Frej concludes. “It’s got the best of everything from lights to rides and performances. I can’t think of anywhere else where you can go from candy floss and rollercoasters to top-quality ballet and classical music in a matter of minutes.” Orchestra. Photo: Anders Bøggild
Read more about the ‘Summer Classical’ and ballet programmes at: Web: www.tivoligardens.com Facebook: tivoli Instagram: @tivolicph