Name: Classical Music in Bavaria 2026
Start: 2026-05-23T19:00:00
Location: Margravial Opera House Bayreuth

The Munich Radio Orchestra is set to grace 2026 with an enthralling series of musical events that promise to captivate audiences with diverse genres and intriguing themes. From Georges Bizet’s timeless compositions to a whimsical family concert featuring Penguin Pudding, and an exploration of Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks's soul-nourishing works, each event offers a unique experience. These upcoming concerts will not only highlight the talents of renowned artists but will also introduce fresh voices from the International Meistersinger Academy, promising a vibrant and culturally rich musical journey.

Exploring the Rich Tapestry of Munich's Musical Events in 2026

Regula Mühlemann

Riccardo Minasi

Mario Martos Nieto

Münchner Rundfunkorchester

Ready, set, go! The August Everding Bavarian Theatre Academy and the Munich Radio Orchestra have been working together for 20 years: a truly blessed liaison! Young students unearth previously unknown treasures from the world of musical theater and bring them on stage with the Munich Radio Orchestra. A scenic fireworks display with opulent orchestral sound, touching arias, a colorful set, and trendy dances. Colorful, professional, passionate. The triad of successful cooperation.

I due timidi & Le pauvre matelot

Prinzregententheater

"I want to nourish the soul," said Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks, whose birthday the Munich Radio Orchestra is celebrating with works as diverse as a mass and the violin concerto "Distant Light." These works shed light on Vasks's thinking—the coexistence of nature and humanity, the sense of beauty, and the impending moral destruction of the world. His themes are rooted in his upbringing, having grown up in a country that was able to cast off its shackles nonviolently in a "Singing Revolution."

Peteris Vasks

Sacred Heart Church Munich

Politics and the private sphere collide fatally in Verdi's opera Simon Boccanegra: The title character, elected Doge of Genoa by the people, pays with his life for the bitter game of love and power. Thanks in part to his librettist, Arrigo Boito, Verdi succeeded in revising the work in 1881 in creating a predominantly somber yet highly fascinating tableau of light and shadow. Boccanegra's desperate cry for peace, echoing the words of the poet Petrarch, becomes a timeless plea – and the shimmering sea, captured by the orchestra, becomes a symbol of hope.

Simon Boccanegra

The International Meistersinger Academy (IMA) not only offers outstanding singers excellent study opportunities but also paves the way for them to pursue a career. Under the artistic direction of Edith Wiens, the IMA will celebrate its 15th anniversary in 2026. Alumni of the academy will perform in the gala concert under the direction of Matthias Foremny.

Gala concert

Reitstadel

Politics and the private sphere collide fatally in Verdi's opera Simon Boccanegra: The title character, elected by the people as Doge of Genoa, pays with his life for the bitter game of love and power. Thanks in part to his librettist, Arrigo Boito, Verdi succeeded in creating a predominantly somber yet highly fascinating tableau of light and shadow in his 1881 revision of the work. Boccanegra's desperate cry for peace, echoing the words of the poet Petrarch, becomes a timeless plea – and the shimmering sea captured by the orchestra becomes a symbol of hope.

Visiting Budapest

Müpa Budapest

The music of America is dazzling and full of timbres! With locomotive driver Juri, we'll embark on a journey across the continent. We'll begin on the legendary steam locomotive Pacific 231. In the Wild West, we'll see the Grand Canyon and stop off at a cowboy's house for a boisterous feast. Then we'll head south toward Mexico and even Brazil – a journey full of adventure with fascinating instruments and stunningly beautiful music!

Music Express

Germering Town Hall

Classical Music in Bavaria 2026

Margravial Opera House Bayreuth

A concert for the youngest, presented in an age-appropriate manner for 3- to 6-year-olds.
Duration: approximately 30 minutes

How is music created using only air? Find out, along with host Clemens. Luckily, the flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon are on hand to help him along! Together with students from the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts and concert designer Hanni Liang, we'll show you how breath transforms into sound. Sometimes airy and light, sometimes stormy and powerful – a concert full of unique "air numbers." Join us and experience the special magic of wind instruments!

air number

Künstlerhaus am Lenbachplatz

Ivan Repušić has shaped the Munich Radio Orchestra as its chief conductor since 2017. Before his departure at the end of the season, the shared successes deserve a fitting celebration – with a concert, of course! The evening will be enriched by musical contributions from important collaborators, including the Bavarian Radio Choir and the artists in residence of recent years. Ivan Repušić will certainly return to the Radio Orchestra at some point in the future.

Ivan Repušić & Friends

Allow me to introduce you to George Onslow from France and Ludwig Thuille, born in Bolzano! Their works are rarely heard in the concert hall. However, Onslow's Quintet, Op. 81, which requires a perfectly balanced wind ensemble, is a worthwhile example of his style, entirely focused on beautiful sound and classical form. Thuille, in turn, influenced a large number of renowned students as a professor at the Royal Bavarian Music School in Munich. His Sextet, Op. 6, rightly puts the master himself in the spotlight.

Rare guests

For decades, the Munich Radio Orchestra has been a guest at one of Bavaria's most prestigious festivals: At the Kissinger Sommer, which celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2026, the sun shines particularly brightly on world-class artists, especially when they can present their vocal artistry with optimal orchestral accompaniment. Experience the versatile tenor of Daniel Behle in the stylish Max Littmann Hall, performing arias and numbers from the most beautiful operas by Rossini, Meyerbeer, and Strauss.

Kissinger Summer

Max Littmann Hall

The Requiem speaks of "the fears and sorrows of people in this time, of illness and death, of love and loneliness" – Hans Werner Henze wrote this funeral music in memory of Michael Vyner, a longtime friend and artistic director of the London Sinfonietta, who died young in 1989. Now the work, whose movements are reminiscent of the Latin requiem mass and yet find their eloquent expressiveness in the wordless sphere of instrumental music, is heard in memory of the important German composer.

Classical Music in Bavaria 2026

Articles & News