In Amsterdam, every Easter week begins with a performance of one of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Passions. After Willem Mengelberg, Bernard Haitink, and Mariss Jansons, new chief conductor designate Klaus Mäkelä is now continuing this tradition. The role of the Evangelist will be sung by Maximilian Schmitt, that of Christ by Matthew Brook, the two artists representing the German and British interpretations of great Baroque oratorios. In Amsterdam, both performance traditions merge into their own oratorio heritage, which we can now also experience in Baden-Baden.

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J. S. Bach: St. Matthew Passion

Festspielhaus Baden-Baden

Get your mind blown in B minor. Hear the work many consider to be one of the heights of human achievement. Inscribed with the words "Glory to God alone," Johann Sebastian Bach's immersive Mass weaves dazzling radiance and gnawing expressivity together into buoyant choruses, rich textures, and arresting vocal solos. Music Director Nathalie Stutzmann, one of the great interpreters of this exalted work, leads a stellar lineup of soloists with the renowned Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.

Bach's Mass in B minor + ASO Chorus

The Woodruff Arts Center

4th Subscription Concert - Philharmonic Choir Berlin

Berliner Philharmonie

Bach's St. John Passion is a unique work of shocking expressiveness. When the great Bach interpreter Philippe Herreweghe takes action with his choir and orchestra of the Collegium Vocale Gent and with excellent vocal soloists, Bach's music can be experienced in its entirety.

J.S. Bach: Johannes-Passion

Museum Ludwig

Experience the majestic harmonies of Handel and Bach at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, as Emmanuelle Haïm leads a series of unforgettable performances. This event, part of the Handel Project Festival, showcases the sublime beauty of Handel’s "Dixit Dominus" and Bach’s "Magnificat," brought to life by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the distinguished Le Concert d’Astrée choir, founded by Haïm herself.

Scheduled for March 21, 22, and 23, 2025, with performances at 8:00 PM on Friday and Saturday and a matinee at 2:00 PM on Sunday, this event promises to be a highlight of the musical season. The program features Handel's "Dixit Dominus, HWV 232" followed by an intermission and concludes with Bach's "Magnificat, BWV 243."

Emmanuelle Haïm, celebrated for her expertise in Baroque music, takes on the role of conductor, joined by a cast of renowned soloists including Emöke Baráth (soprano I), Eva Zaicik (soprano II), Iestyn Davies (countertenor), Lunga Eric Hallam (tenor), and Krešimir Stražanac (bass-baritone). This collaboration marks the first season of Haïm’s three-year tenure as Artist Collaborator with the LA Phil, promising a deeply moving and spiritually uplifting experience.

Critics have lauded Haïm’s ability to balance spiritual joy with humane sensuality in Handel's compositions, and her recordings with Le Concert d’Astrée have received high praise for their sensuous, soft-grained textures and vibrant vocal performances. This event not only showcases the divine chorales and exalted architecture of the featured works but also highlights the exceptional talents of Haïm and her ensemble.

Enhance your experience by arriving early at 6:30 PM to enjoy Drinks in the Garden, where you can savor a complimentary drink amidst the lush ambiance of Walt Disney Concert Hall's rooftop garden, weather permitting.

Don't miss this opportunity to witness the beauty of Baroque music under the baton of Emmanuelle Haïm, surrounded by the architectural splendor of the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Haïm Leads Handel & Bach

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Mozart wrote in a letter to his father that death is »the true, best friend of man« – which for Manfred Honeck is a »profound and significant statement«. The internationally sought-after conductor is known for his unmistakable and trend-setting style – and is also a charismatic and passionate artist who loves emotional depth: »If I had the choice between technical precision and emotional music, I would always choose the music.« The former violist of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, who once began his conducting career as Claudio Abbado’s assistant, has been a regular guest of ours for more than 30 years. This led to an intimate friendship – and as a result, he is now officially performing his first concert as our new honorary conductor. We are delighted to be performing one of his favourite programmes with him on Eternity Sunday, which is very moving and will certainly give food for thought: The equally »mysterious and divine moments« in Mozart's last work – the otherworldly beautiful requiem from 1791, which the composer worked on until his early death at the age of just 35 and was unable to complete. Manfred Honeck breaks the ritualistic confessional music abruptly at precisely that point after eight bars in the »Lacrimosa« – and complements and combines it in an incredibly comforting way with other poignant sound creations, texts from powerful biblical passages, letters by Mozart, poems, Gregorian chorales and the urging ringing of bells.

Krešimir Stražanac

Events

Past events

Mar 30, 2026

J. S. Bach: St. Matthew Passion · Festspielhaus Baden-Baden

12 - 15 Mar, 2026

Bach's Mass in B minor + ASO Chorus · Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Future and recently performed repertoire

Singer in Requiem by Mozart

Bamberger Symphoniker

Singer in St. Matthew Passion by Bach

Festspielhaus Baden-Baden

Singer in Mass in B minor by Bach

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Singer in The Book with Seven Seals by Schmidt

Brandenburgischen Staatsorchesters Frankfurt

Singer in Am Tage Aller Seelen by Schubert

Bamberger Symphoniker

Singer in Musique funèbre by Lutosławski

Bamberger Symphoniker

Singer in Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten by Pärt

Bamberger Symphoniker

Singer in St. John Passion by Bach

Kölner Philharmonie

About

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