By Stephen Peter
A great honor for the Adler couple, who have been bringing great virtuosos to the capital’s stages for decades.
Without him, the careers of many classic stars would have been different. Some might never have become famous.
Witiko Adler (94) has been organizing concerts for more than seven decades, bringing pianists, conductors and singers to Berlin. On Friday, he and his wife Jutta (73) were awarded the Ernst Reuter badge.
The first advertisement for the Adler concert agency in 1918 Photo: Ralf Gunther
Anyone who likes to experience classical music live in the capital has heard of the Konzertdirektion Adler. Founded in 1918 by Witiko’s father Hans. Starting capital: 70,000 gold marks.
When Adler senior fell ill with bone tuberculosis, the son took over the business in 1948 – at the age of just 20! He represented the conductors Yehudi Menuhin and Claudio Abbado, and arranged the audition of 13-year-old Anne-Sophie Mutter for Herbert von Karajan.
Anne-Sophie Mutter with Wolfgang Stresemann (left, artistic director of the Berlin Philharmonic) and Witiko Adler in the Philharmonie Photo: Konzertdirektion Adler
In 1963, Adler brought Daniel Barenboim to Berlin for the first time – at the time he was a promising Argentinian pianist. Meanwhile, Barenboim and Adler are not only business partners, but also friends.
Friends for decades: in 1963 Witiko Adler arranged the Berlin debut of pianist Daniel Barenboim Photo: Konzertdirektion Adler
The famous conductor would have liked to come to the Red Town Hall for the ceremony, but had to cancel due to illness. In return, his wife Jelena gave the laudatory speech to Witiko and Jutta Adler (she has been with the agency since 1985): “We have them to thank for Berlin becoming a music metropolis again.”
Daniel Barenboim’s wife, Yelena Bashkirowa, gave the laudatory speech Photo: Ralf Gunther
Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey (44, SPD) paid tribute: “You have done pioneering work.” It is one of Witiko Adler’s great merits that he “brought important Jewish musicians to Berlin again” after the war.
Barenboim at a concert in the Waldbühne in 1985 Photo: ullstein bild
Jutta Adler humorously expressed her thanks for the award: “If we would believe the words of the Governing Mayor and Ms. Barenboim, which of course we do, we deserve them!”
The concert organizers Adler, who have been shaken by the Corona measures, have an appeal to politicians: “Let’s hope that the Lauterbach program will not be fulfilled and that masks, tests and distances will be reintroduced!”