When the fantastic live music of the Aachen Symphony Orchestra meets a breath-taking show, then is it time for “Horse & Symphony” at the CHIO Aachen. This year, the popular format is going to be imaginative, colourful and spectacular: On the evenings of June 24th and 25th, the spectators will be invited to “Walk in” to the Deutsche Bank Stadium and enjoy the marvellous world of the circus.

One has never experienced the Deutsche Bank Stadium like this before: Shrouded in the scent of popcorn and candy floss, the riding arena will be transformed into a circus ring and the crowd will enter an imaginary world of fun and spontaneity. A world in which selected equestrian athletes, show stars and acrobats come together with over 50 horses and the fantastic live music of the Aachen Symphony Orchestra to provide a sonorous spectacle full of surprises.

Some of the most popular pieces of music from classic history will be played: From Fučíks “Entrance of the Gladiators”, to Jacques Offenbach’s “Can-Can” and  excerpts from “Cavalleria Rusticana”, through to the modern, but no less impressive, “Indiana Jones” by John Williams. These will be accompanied by show numbers portraying the colourful world of the circus. Most notably, the fairy-tale like parade of the “FierS à Cheval” street theatre will conjure up a fantastic pageant with their larger-than-life horse figures comprising of light, air and transparent fabrics and artfully created choreography of formations in the sand. The appearance of the French performer, Laska Lorca with a perfect symbiosis between equestrian and painting art is almost mystic. The show will be further enhanced by the teams of the international Grand Prix rider, Britta Rasche-Merkt, the “Air Dancing Theatre” of Nadja Meinhardt; dancers from the Ferberberg Ballet School and the “Madness Brothers”. The mini-trampoline show group will be supported by a fast-paced carriage quadrille directed by Andreas Wintgens.

Also part of the show in the Deutsche Bank Stadium: Jesse Drent. He impresses just under half a million followers in the social media, the Dutchman is coming to the Deutsche Bank Stadium for the Horse & Symphony. Together with the Shetty Macho, he will enact his famous liberty dressage, which will of course also include the odd circus act. And the probably most popular clown of our era, “Fumagalli” is also going to be in on the act at the Aachen Soers. He will perform together with his brother Daris – distinguished with the Golden Clown of Monte Carlo, the duo is a worldwide attraction.

Christopher Ward, General Music Director of the City of Aachen, will conduct the orchestra on both evenings. The first note of the so popular concert, which has been a fixed item on the agenda at the World Equestrian Festival since 2003, will ring out under the direction of the London-born conductor at 8.30 pm. Following tradition, the interplay between the orchestra and the individual show acts equally fascinates both the spectators and the cast. And the Show Director, Frank Kemperman, is already convinced: “It is going to be unique.”