Toward the Light – Classical Concert with Michalak and Schermi
In 2026, the Round Tower will pay tribute to Ole Rømer — one of the greatest astronomers, who helped define how humankind thought about time and space, influencing astronomy for eternity. But which musicians did the same for music? Who shaped music history and set new standards for how music could sound? This is what the duo Michalak and Schermi explores, with a classical evening in the Round Tower.
Ad Lucem is Latin and means “toward the light.” It can be understood both literally, as moving from darkness to light, and symbolically, as a quest for understanding, truth, insight, or spiritual enlightenment. In 2026, the Round Tower marks the 350th anniversary of astronomer and former head of the Observatory Ole Rømer’s discovery and determination of the speed of light. We will celebrate this by turning our attention to some of the greatest composers who influenced the history of music — just as Ole Rømer did with astronomy.
The interpretations of the works are presented by the Italian violinist Simone Schermi and the Danish-Polish pianist Filip Michalak. Schermi has played music since the age of 11, has won multiple prizes, and has served as both concertmaster and solo violinist in several orchestras. Michalak began his classical education at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, but has also studied in Stockholm and Manchester. He is now part of the “The Keyboard Charitable Trust” in London, while in Denmark he is behind the “Aalborg Chamber Music Festival”.
Evening Program
- Johann Sebastian Bach: Sonata for Violin in B minor, BWV 1014
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonata No. 22 in A major, K305
- Johannes Brahms: Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78
- Lili Boulanger: Nocturne for violin and piano
The doors open at 19:30, giving guests the opportunity to buy a drink at the bar and experience the current exhibition titled Ad Lucem. Be captivated by the exhibition’s enchanting deep-blue photographic works created with cyanotype. Before and after the concert, the audience will also be able to ascend to the top of the tower and see Copenhagen glowing in the darkness.
The event is part of the program for LIGHTYEAR 2026 at the Round Tower — a full year in which we celebrate light and the 350th anniversary of Ole Rømer’s groundbreaking discovery of the speed of light.
A beacon of light – Concert with Di Garbi
The Round Tower is transformed into a beacon of light, prayer and compassion, as we join Danish composer and pianist Di Garbi on a pilgrimage through the tower and gather for a concert in the final hours of the sun.
The audience is invited to a special evening where music and song will spread universal love – for each other and for the planet. The empty Library Hall in the Round Tower will set the scene for the concert, where Di Garbi, with her classical roots and poetic musical language, will perform beautiful compositions on the grand piano placed at the center of the space.
Di Garbi has a special focus on historical spaces from a time when architecture imposed different demands on sound.
The audience can enjoy this unique, almost ritual-like, experience seated on chairs and cushions around the piano in the historic hall at the heart of the Round Tower. A sense of unity and togetherness will arise as Di Garbi invites everyone to sing along to various mantras – both around the piano and in the Spiral Ramp.
After the concert, guests will have the opportunity to walk up and enjoy the view over Copenhagen – and perhaps catch a glimpse of the day’s last light.
Multi-artist Di Garbi
As a composer, singer, lyricist, and pianist, Di Garbi is a versatile musician who transforms historical spaces into the most enchanting concert halls through melodic music of classical, electronic, and cinematic character. Her compositions explore the human mind in a poetic musical language, often with a calming effect on the listener’s nervous system. In 2024, Di Garbi became the first Danish solo artist ever to record an album at Abbey Road’s Angel Studio in London.
Previously, Di Garbi has performed as artist-in-residence at venues such as Thorvaldsens Museum, the Royal Chapel at Christiansborg Palace, and Aarhus Theatre. Now, audiences can immerse themselves in her musical universe here in the Round Tower. We look forward to welcoming you.
We meet at the entrance to the tower and embark together on a shared pilgrimage to the Library Hall. Doors open half an hour before the concert begins.
A special thanks
Di Garbi are joined by three special guests:
Cæcilie Balling, violinist
Bilal Irshed, oudist
Stine Ciconia Rejnholdt, reading and text
The artistic team behind the concert also includes:
Marie Nørgaard Nielsen, costume designer
Glenn Rottland, MOTU, sound and setup
Stine Ciconia Rejnholdt, production assistant
Concert: Bremer/McCoy
What is the sound of Cosmos? The meditative, dub-inspired jazz duo Bremer/McCoy offers their interpretation as they visit the Round Tower to perform tracks from their latest album, titled Kosmos after the wondrous universe.
Experience an atmospheric and intimate concert in truly unique surroundings when Danish jazz duo Bremer/McCoy visits the tower as part of their latest record release, Kosmos.
The goal of the band’s music is to capture and share a worldview rooted in a sense of connection and freedom. In Bremer/McCoy’s cosmos we can meet each other in these feelings in a world without words. With the Universe as their overarching theme the duo captures the wonder and tranquility that comes with gazing at the night sky on a starry evening — looking out into the cosmos.
Listen to the album here.
Please note that this is an extra concert. Bremer/McCoy also plays on march 4th.
The event is part of the Round Tower’s astro festival, KOSMOS.
Concert: Bremer/McCoy
What is the sound of Cosmos? The meditative, dub-inspired jazz duo Bremer/McCoy offers their interpretation as they visit the Round Tower to perform tracks from their latest album, titled Kosmos after the wondrous universe.
Experience an atmospheric and intimate concert in truly unique surroundings when Danish jazz duo Bremer/McCoy visits the tower as part of their latest record release, Kosmos.
The goal of the band’s music is to capture and share a worldview rooted in a sense of connection and freedom. In Bremer/McCoy’s cosmos we can meet each other in these feelings in a world without words. With the Universe as their overarching theme the duo captures the wonder and tranquility that comes with gazing at the night sky on a starry evening — looking out into the cosmos.
Listen to the album here.
The event is part of the Round Tower’s astro festival, COSMOS.
Ars Nova & Phillip Faber
Experience the vocal ensemble Ars Nova Copenhagen and composer/conductor Phillip Faber in the Round Tower as they sing of both light and darkness in the Library Hall of the Round Tower.
For us in the Nordic region, light holds great significance. There is nothing as magical as the bright Nordic summers, when it feels like we live more than at other times of the year. The contrast to these bright summers — the dark winters — is also a crucial part of what defines us as Northerners. And even here in the southern part of the Nordic region, light and darkness in winter sometimes converge into a higher unity in the wondrous phenomenon we call the Northern Lights.
The evening’s program features music by Nordic composers such as Karin Rehnqvist, Hugo Alfvén, C.E.F. Weyse, and Bent Sørensen, but we also make a visit to a couple of our neighboring countries to the east and west with works by Scottish composer James McMillan and Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. The program also includes Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere, which, though not Nordic, was written for performance in Catholic Tenebrae services (shadow or darkness services).
Program
- Karin Rehnqvist – Natt över jorden
- Hugo Alfvén – Aftonen
- Uti vår hage
- Traditional arr. H. Parkman – Till Österland
- Gregorio Allegri – Miserere
- C.E.F. Weyse – Wanderers Nachtlied
- Kari Bæk – Videmus nunc per speculum/Laudate Dominum
- Bent Sørensen – In Paradisum
- Arvo Pärt – Morning Star
- Philip Faber – Hvis nu lyset (women only)
- Arthur Sullivan – The Long Day Closes (men only)
- James MacMillan – Miserere
- James MacMillan – O Radiant Dawn
Duration: Approximately 70 minutes.
Ars Nova Copenhagen was founded in 1979 and has long established itself as one of the world’s finest vocal ensembles. The ensemble specializes in interpreting the polyphonic choral music of the Renaissance and contemporary vocal music, performed with precision, intensity, and a sound that garners attention worldwide. Over the years, Ars Nova has toured in more than 35 countries.
Phillip Faber is one of Denmark’s leading conductors, composers, and musical personalities. Many in Denmark know Phillip Faber from TV sing-along broadcasts during the COVID-19 lockdown or as the host of programs like The Classical Music Quiz on DR2. But above all, he is a conductor and composer, educated at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. As a conductor, he moves between orchestral and vocal music; as a composer, between the Nordic simplicity and the complex; and as a communicator, between warmth and education.
Copenhagen Baroque Festival: Hidden Treasures
Experience a magical evening in the Round Tower inspired by music, words, and astronomy, as flutist Joachim Beccera Thomsen and actress Ellen Hillingsø bring the Renaissance spirit of Sophie Brahe and the celestial poetry (in Danish) of Edith Södergran to life.
When we listen to music, we often imagine images and stories in our minds. But how do we listen, what catches our ear, and how do we uncover the stories? With this year’s theme, “Musical Stories,” the festival invites you to unleash your imagination and allows the audience to create their own fantastic tales along the way.
On this evening, the Copenhagen Baroque Festival has curated a musical program inspired by the Renaissance and Sophie Brahe—the wise and visionary Renaissance woman who observed the stars in the sky with her passion for astronomy.
Imagine that the same constellations can still be seen today, inspiring and connecting us across time. We have also explored modern poetry by Edith Södergran, which revolves around or is inspired by the light of the sky. Together with flutist Joachim Beccera Thomsen and readings by actress Ellen Hillingsø, we will capture some musical star moments and bring them down to earth—right here in the Round Tower.
Participants: Joachim Beccera Thomsen (music) and Ellen Hillingsø (narration).
Please Note: The narration will be in Danish.
About the Copenhagen Baroque Festival
Copenhagen Baroque Festival 2024 takes place from September 4th to 8th and offers unique concert experiences with Danish and international Baroque musicians. All concert venues are historic and beautiful spaces in the city that complement the music in the most exquisite way—the Library Hall in the Round Tower, the Knights’ Hall at Rosenborg Castle, the impressive Trinitatis Church, Our Saviour’s Church with its beautiful spire, and the Reformed Church.
The concert is presented in collaboration between the Copenhagen Baroque Festival and the Round Tower.
Copenhagen Baroque Festival: Traveling Tales
Embark on a musical journey from the British Isles to Lolland as Poul and Silene Høxbro perform Celtic melodies from the 1799 music manuscript Reventlow’s Notebook, accompanied by readings (in Danish).
When we listen to music, we often imagine images and stories in our minds. But how do we listen, what catches our ear, and how do we uncover the stories? With this year’s theme, “Musical Stories,” the festival invites you to unleash your imagination and allows the audience to create their own fantastic tales along the way.
This evening, the musicians will take us on a voyage around the North Sea, where you can hear distant Scottish melodies, Nordic folk tunes, and familiar strains from Denmark. Experience how music effortlessly travels through time, continuously captivating us, generation after generation, in ever-new interpretations.
During the concert, you will also hear various travel descriptions.
Please Note: The narration will be in Danish by Poul Høxbro. Ellen Hillingsø unfortunately has cancelled her appearance tonight.
Participants: Poul Høxbro (low whistle) and Silene Høxbro (steel-string guitar)
About the Copenhagen Baroque Festival
Copenhagen Baroque Festival 2024 takes place from September 4th to 8th and offers unique concert experiences with Danish and international Baroque musicians. All concert venues are historic and beautiful spaces in the city that complement the music in the most exquisite way – the Library Hall in the Round Tower, the Knights’ Hall at Rosenborg Castle, the impressive Trinitatis Church, Our Saviour’s Church with its beautiful spire, and the Reformed Church.
The concert is presented in collaboration between the Copenhagen Baroque Festival and the Round Tower.
Concert: FIRST HATE
Join us when the Danish pop-art duo First Hate performs a concert after hours in the historic Library Hall of the tower.
First Hate was formed in 2013 by friends Anton Falck and Joakim Wei Bernild and has since made a name for themselves on the Danish music scene by going against the trends, combining pop kicks, club poetry, and fleeting romances in sharp creations filled with hedonism and heartbreak.
During Golden Days Festival, which this year has the theme “At Work,” you can enjoy a well-deserved night off with friends and experience the duo in the historic Library Hall, where books and shelves have been replaced by talks, exhibitions, concerts, and cultural events.
Doors open at 7:30 PM.
The event begins at 8:00 PM.
The event is part of the Golden Days Festival.
Concert: Hvalfugl (DK)
Playful folk meets Nordic jazz as Danish trio Hvalfugl takes over the Round Tower with an intimate concert full of quivering musical presence and dreamy ambient tones.
Hvalfugl have amazed both audiences and critics ever since they sent out their debut album in 2017. Discover the trio in the iconic setting of the Round Tower this April, as Jonathan Fjord Bredholt’s elegant piano and ethereal harmonium intertwines with Jeppe Lavsen’s crystalline guitar and Anders Juel Bomholt’s gently rocking contrabass.
The music of Hvalfugl creates visual images within the listener, presenting a live experience that is both intimate and majestic.
Doors open at 19.30
The concert starts at 20.00
Concert: LiveStrings feat. Nicolai Kornerup
You may recognize LiveStrings from their collaborations with stars such as Kygo, MØ, and Lukas Graham. Now, experience the string ensemble in their own name as they take over the Round Tower alongside pianist and composer Nicolai Kornerup.
LiveStrings possesses a unique ability to interlace musical threads, spanning a diverse spectrum from the baroque era to contemporary pop and back again!
Embark on a musical odyssey across different genres as they showcase a vibrant, eclectic repertoire featuring classical pieces by Händel/Halvorsen and Prokofiev, Scandinavian melodies, festive Eastern-European folk music, inventive interpretations of modern pop hits, and previews of tracks from their upcoming album.
To celebrate the winter season, their “Christmas Medley” will illuminate the old tower, offering a magical, musical respite from the bustling streets of Copenhagen.
Musicians
Andrea Gyarfas Brahe – violin
Karen Johanne Pedersen – violin
Sidsel Most – viola
Live Johansson – cello
Nicolai Kornerup – piano
About LiveStrings
The vision of the string ensemble LiveStrings is to bring chamber music to new stages and introduce it to new audiences through their own projects and collaborations with artists from various genres.
LiveStrings has recorded and toured with global stars like Kanye West, Eminem, Michael Bublé, Kygo, as well as some of Denmark’s biggest names, including Lukas Graham, MØ, Jada, Rasmus Seebach, Artigeardit, and many more.
The ensemble’s musicians have all been trained at prestigious music conservatories around the world and hold leading positions in the country’s finest orchestras.
Read more at LiveStrings.dk
There will be an intermission during the concert.