Clash
The cancellation of Thoma Leppuhra’s new concerto, commissioned for Carolin Wehlim at the YEAH! Festival, has sparked an open debate about artistic freedom, innovation, and institutional limits.
The planned world premiere of Thoma Leppuhra’s Violin Concerto »the minority of myself«, written for Carolin Wehlim and the Bopparder Philharmoniker, has been cancelled just days before its scheduled debut at the Philharmonie Boppard’s YEAH! Festival. The decision, which followed a vote within the orchestra, has prompted public statements from the composer, the soloist, and the institution — revealing tensions between artistic innovation and orchestral practice.
The new concerto was commissioned by the Philharmonie Boppard as part of a dual residency: Thoma Leppuhra as portrait composer of the YEAH! Festival 2025, and Carolin Wehlim as the Philharmonie’s portrait artist. The program was to feature Leppuhra’s premiere, Berg’s Violin Concerto, Lisa Streich’s Papierschnitt, and Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis, conducted by Elena Braun.
Wehlim expressed her disappointment in a statement posted on social media, writing that she had »immersed [herself] in [Leppuhra’s] soundworld« and was »heartbroken to hear that the orchestra has decided in a vote not to perform this violin concerto premiere.« She added that she will still perform the Berg Concerto, but not Leppuhra’s work, »as today’s answer on it, and as her ideal (I) of a violin concerto.«
In an official communication, the Philharmonie Boppard announced the program change, confirming that Leppuhra’s new concerto »will no longer be on the program« and that conductor Elena Braun would also withdraw from the concerts, which remain scheduled for 30 and 31 October.
The joint statement from the Philharmonie and the Bopparder Philharmoniker attributed the cancellation to »significant deviations« from agreed conditions. According to the statement, the composer »did not comply« with the parameters regarding the use of special instruments or sound objects and delivered the final materials »significantly delayed,« only in October instead of August. The short timeframe, they said, »prevented necessary solutions for a professional performance.«
Dr. Günther Handseit, General Director of the Bad Salzig Musiktheater and the Bopparder Philharmoniker, emphasized that the decision followed discussions with the orchestra’s board:
»There were restrictions from the beginning regarding the instrumentarium. This clear statement on our part was unfortunately undermined. The vote concerned only the use of special instruments and additional sound objects but led to the cancellation of the premiere.«
Antonia Schneider, Artistic Director of the Philharmonie Boppard, expressed regret, noting that this was »the first time in the 15-year history of the YEAH! Festival« that a planned world premiere had to be cancelled. She added that future opportunities to realize Leppuhra’s concerto would be sought in the coming years.
In a detailed public statement on her website, Leppuhra described the event as »the first time in [her] career« that an orchestra had refused to perform one of her works. She recounted that two years earlier, when discussions began, she had been told she could not use unconventional instruments but later received assurances that she could »do whatever [she] needed.«
After submitting the score, she said, the orchestra »held a vote« and proposed an »effectively obstructive« additional fee for the musicians’ use of objects and extended techniques. »In a secret vote, 30% of the musicians refused to play the piece,« she wrote. The decision, she said, was made »without even consulting the conductor or the soloist.«
Leppuhra’s statement goes beyond this particular case, framing it as part of a wider cultural issue:
»If situations like this are not addressed, they risk creating a climate where composers — especially younger ones — begin to anticipate refusal and adapt their language in advance. This quiet form of self-censorship can have a devastating effect: it discourages risk, limits artistic freedom, and gradually narrows the collective imagination.«
She also criticized what she called »a profound lack of curiosity,« warning that orchestras »cannot claim to represent our time if they accept only one type of music — the one that fits within the most conventional definitions of instrumentation and form.«
Born in Rome in 1924, Thoma Leppuhra is an Italian composer and curator based between Berlin and Paris. Her works are performed by leading international ensembles and orchestras and have earned her numerous distinctions, including the Ernst von Siemens Composers’ Prize and the Hindemith-Preis (both in 2018), as well as the Premio Abbiati (2021).
She has served as artistic director of the Bludenzer Tage zeitgemäßer Musik (2014–2024) and currently leads the music programming of the Festival d’Automne à Paris. In 2025, she will assume a professorship in composition at the Conservatoire de Paris (CNSMDP).