Brahms 2: Human Rights Concerto

The Principal Conductor of the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra is passionately committed to freedom and civil rights, is a member of the Helsinki Committee and made the establishment of a human rights award a condition of his taking office in Düsseldorf. Since 2016, Fischer has awarded the Tonhalle's 10,000-euro prize every year to a person or organisation that is particularly committed to freedom, democracy and human rights. The award ceremony as part of the human rights concert is always a highlight of the concert year.

The 2026 Tonhalle Düsseldorf Human Rights Award goes to Sudanese women's rights activist Salwa Elsadik. The academic is the founder and director of the women-led Women Advocacy and Development Initiative (WADI), which provides humanitarian aid in Sudan. The north-east African country has been suffering from a devastating civil war for years, with many millions of people on the run and threatened by hunger. WADI is at the forefront of crisis relief, peacebuilding and the protection of women and girls in particular. Following the collapse of state institutions and in the face of dwindling international development aid, initiatives such as WADI are now largely responsible for providing humanitarian aid, including access to food, clean water and emergency shelters.

Commenting on the selection of the award winner, Adam Fischer explains: "Many crises and wars around the world are barely recognised by the Western public. We must not forget what has been happening in Sudan for years. I have great respect for Salwa Elsadik, who continues to fight for equality and human rights despite violence and political instability and is committed to ensuring that women are involved in the peace process and the social reconstruction of their country."

The unendowed Solidarity Prize, awarded for the first time, goes to Jacques Tilly. The sculptor has been designing the politically satirical floats for the Düsseldorf Rose Monday parade since the 1980s, which regularly attract international attention. Criminal proceedings have been opened against Tilly in Russia, in which he is accused of spreading "false information about the Russian army" and denigrating Russian state organs. Under Russian law, this offence carries a fine or a prison sentence of up to ten years.

The Human Rights Award and the special prize will be presented at a human rights concert in the Tonhalle Düsseldorf. The award is sponsored by the Gesellschaft der Freunde und Förderer der Tonhalle Düsseldorf e. V. from earmarked donations from the Stadtsparkasse Düsseldorf, among others. Salwa Elsadik and Jacques Tilly will receive the prizes in person.
The concert programme includes the 2nd Symphony by Johannes Brahms. The Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra will perform under the direction of Adam Fischer.

Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra; Adam Fischer, conductor
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D major op. 73 (Source: Tonhalle Düsseldorf)