Clad in ochre-coloured panels, the stunning modernist home of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is an icon of Berlin’s postwar cultural rebirth and one of the world’s great concert halls. Its distinctive ‘vineyard’-style main auditorium makes it one of Europe’s most visually striking classical venues, and while the main attraction remains the BPO under its conductor Kirill Petrenko, free lunchtime recitals attract tourists and locals from the nearby Tiergarten alike.

The Philharmonie’s smaller, younger brother shares the same postwar design values—a hexagonal modernist space in which to hear chamber music in the round. It’s primarily a home for the Berlin Philharmonic’s own superb chamber music performances, but also hosts jazz concerts, early music, and recitalists of the caliber of Víkingur Ólafsson and Philippe Jaroussky. The Interactive Concerts series in its foyer allows even the under-fives to join in.

Karl Friedrich Schinkel’s architectural masterpiece dates back to 1818, having survived (albeit barely) the Second World War. After a massive reconstruction project, it reopened in 1984 with state-of-the art acoustics to complement the classical exterior—although the god Apollo still crowns the roof. Come to see Espresso Concerts and Rush Hour Concerts, in addition to a symphonic series with the resident Konzerthausorchester (symphony orchestra) under its chief conductor, Joana Mallwitz.

Designed to look and resonate like the inside of a cello, this Frank Gehry-designed hall in the Mitte district is named after the architect’s longtime friend, the French avant-garde composer who died in 2016. Today, it’s the in-house performance space for the Barenboim-Said Akademie (a local music conservatory) and frequently hosts the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and Boulez Ensemble. Ticket packages are available, but guests under 35 receive a steep discount.

Once isolated behind the Berlin Wall, this beautiful 18th-century theater on Unter den Linden has now resumed its place at the pinnacle of Berlin cultural life—a position it has held (with interruptions for wars, both hot and cold) for nearly 300 years. The spiritual home of opera in Germany, the Staatsoper company (as well as its orchestra, the Staatskapelle Berlin) scaled new heights under its recently departed music director Daniel Barenboim.

Although there’s no shortage of familiar repertoire (think: Mozart, Verdi, and Puccini) on the main stage of Germany’s second-largest opera house, the modernist Deutsche Oper—built as West Berlin’s opera house after the old Staatsoper found itself behind the Wall—is known for an innovative production style and a willingness to explore. The new Tischlerei space offers experimental productions and youth programming, and the on-site restaurant is open before and after each show.

Grab a strawberry punch and settle in under the stars at this forest amphitheater in Berlin’s Olympiapark. It’s the kind of place that brings people together from all across the city: For the annual family-friendly Flashlight Concert by the folk-pop band Rumpelstil; the Berlin Philharmonic’s summer open-air concert; shows by German stars like Santiano and Rammstein; and screenings of blockbuster movies. On-site parking is limited, so public transport is your best bet.

This dignified Romanesque church is the only surviving prewar building in West Berlin’s predominantly modernist Kulturforum. It doubles as a concert hall, with a small but impressive art collection and a program of performances devoted to exploring the intersection of culture and faith. Choral music, late-night chamber recitals, and talks on culture and religion are all on the program. And because this is still a functioning church, daytime admission is free.

The décor is opulent, but the spirit of the Komische Oper is unashamedly populist. This is opera with a twist, and in recent years it’s been the place to rediscover Weimar Berlin at its glitziest: There are high-kicking revivals of jazzy interwar operettas such as Ball im Savoy and The Pearls of Cleopatra, classics by Mozart and Strauss, musicals (think La Cage Aux Folles), and even cabaret. Dining options include dinner-and-a-show deals and champagne breakfasts.

You might want to bring your own powdered wig for this touristy but fun concert experience, held in the classical Great Orangery of Charlottenburg Palace. A master of ceremonies guides you back in time to the 18th-century Prussian royal court where the Berlin Residence Orchestra, clad in Baroque costumes, performs programs of Mozart, Vivaldi, and other Baroque and Classical favorites. During some concerts, guests can enjoy a three-course meal themed to the music.