Name: St. Matthew Passion
Start: 2026-04-03T19:00:00
Location: Beethoven Hall

In 2026, the vibrant city of Bonn will be alive with the sounds of celebration as it marks 200 years of the iconic Bonn Carnival. A series of musical events organized by the Beethoven Orchester Bonn will honor this milestone. From a historical journey through the evolution of carnival music to the stirring orchestral performances that pay homage to legends like Beethoven and Haydn, these events promise to be a feast for the senses. Join us as we explore the rich tapestry of culture, music, and tradition in Bonn.

A Symphony of Traditions: Celebrating 200 Years of Bonn Carnival and Beyond

Bonn is set to host a mosaic of unforgettable musical events that promise to enchant and inspire. From orchestral wonders to family-friendly tales, and from soulful fado to prestigious competitions, this series of performances will showcase a stunning range of artistry and creativity. Taking place between March and May 2026, these events will feature renowned performers such as Ana Moura and showcase masterpieces from composers like Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach. Join the Beethoven Orchester Bonn as they celebrate the timeless power of music and its ability to connect, challenge, and transform.

Exploring the Rich Tapestry of Bonn's Upcoming Musical Events

Kangyoon Shine Lee

Giulia Montanari

Jeremy Ovenden

Attilio Cremonesi

Armin Kolarczyk

Michael Borth

Rafal Tomkiewicz

Philharmonic Choir of the City of Bonn

Beethoven Orchester Bonn

Four notes: Ta ta ta taaa. Symphony of Destiny. The Fifth. It doesn't take much to immediately know that Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 is meant. The four notes immediately catch the ear and don't want to go away. Likewise, the symphony's relevance, the liberal ideas that Beethoven brought into the world with it, are reflected. School classes from the Beethoven-Gymnasium, which celebrates its 400th anniversary in 2026 and the school Beethoven himself once attended, will show us how relevant these are and what we can learn today from studying this symphony. 

Beethoven 5

Beethoven Hall

Petrushka is the eternally unfortunate hero of all fairs: the story that underlies one of the greatest ballets of the 20th century is a tale of exclusion and belonging, of love and alienation, of rebellion and adaptation. As a listener, you are swept away by the colorful score, by wild rhythms and memorable themes that characterize the story's main characters and their fates. But you also suffer with Petrushka , the doll made of cloth and straw who wants to win the ballerina's heart. Moderator Bettina Böttinger and conductor Alondra de la Parra examine Petrushka and its relevance to our time. The Beethoven Orchestra will be on stage playing examples from the work, music and content flowing into one before Stravinsky's masterpiece is heard as a whole.

Petrushka

Glitter and glamour, scandals and minor scandals, the avant-garde and the traditions of different nations: all this awaited the audience that flocked to the Parisian performances of the legendary Ballets Russes, arguably the best ballet company in the world, shortly after the beginning of the 20th century. The important composers, the renowned set designers, the wonderful stories created productions that sometimes still have an impact today. One of the most famous Russian ballets was Stravinsky's Petrushka , and the most exciting evening with a Spanish background was Manuel de Falla's The Three-Cornered Hat - an entertaining story about a miller and his clever wife who have to fend off the inappropriate advances of a civil servant...

Aranjuez

How do you remember your last vacation: Do you write a diary? Do you take photos? Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy drew sketches: in Italy and Switzerland, across Germany and in France. He wrote countless letters to his loved ones. And in Scotland in particular, the memories of images of storm-tossed seas, bare plains and cloud-covered skies condensed into music in his head: He created the Hebrides Overture and the third, the so-called Scottish Symphony, in which you can hear the wind whistling and see the kilt-clad clans riding through the Highlands. For beginners and old hands: in our Pur series, in which we aim to (re)discover important works of classical literature, we turn for the first time to perhaps the brightest composer of the Romantic era, the author of A Midsummer Night's Dream and the Italian Symphony, and the oratorios Paulus and Elijah . Let's travel to Scotland with Portuguese conductor Nuno Coelho as musical director and presenter and let the fresh breeze blow around our noses!

Mendelssohn 3

The heart of classical music, Mozart and Beethoven: The most classical of all the chamber concert programs of the season presents weightless music from imperial Vienna during the gallant era. Night-time music par excellence, which gives us an idea of ​​how the aristocratic society indulged itself in the company of musicians who still seem the greatest to us today... But light music isn't just found in the 18th century: Even in the Romantic era and in the cauldron of the early 20th century, there are works that evoke southern evenings and gatherings among friends.

Serenades

Beethoven-Haus Bonn

Two exciting young musicians are the stars of our seventh Friday concert : cellist Anastasia Kobekina and conductor Nil Venditti, making their debuts with the Beethoven Orchestra. The Turkish-Italian conductor Nil Venditti has selected a program of opulent, large-scale orchestral music, juxtaposing English and Italian works from the pre-World War II era: the festive Concert Overture by the recently rediscovered Grace Williams from 1932 and Ottorino Respighi's Feste Romane from 1928. Anastasia Kobekina has been the rising star of the cello scene in recent years.

Large images

A joyful hubbub, market criers loudly touting their wares, mountains of unfamiliar fruits and vegetables, colorful spice troughs, the smells of foreign foods, and stalls full of glittering and shimmering treasures. A market in Andalusia, Spain, has a lot to offer, and Nala could wander here for days. But many miles lie behind her: rivers to cross, forests to roam through, and mountains to climb. And all this in search of the mysterious music box she seeks to find her destiny. Will Nala find it here after all she's experienced? With your help, she definitely will!

The Music Box

Exciting journeys of discovery are guaranteed when we venture into the caravan landscape of BaseCamp: Up to the dizzying heights of contemporary music. Down to the gems of never-before-heard sounds. Far out into the wild, where the wild rhythms dwell... Four pieces that explore this wonderful space in unusual ways are on this year's program, where the audience is, quite literally, at the center of the action...

BaseCamp

BaseCamp Young Hostel

Yggdrasil , the world ash, encompasses the entire cosmos : animals and humans, mythical creatures and gods, from the underworld through the Middle World to the heavens. In Norse mythology, the gods created this tree to connect all nine worlds and everything that lives within them. We take you musically into these worlds full of wonder and beauty, from the roots to the outermost branches of Yggdrasil . The artist duo Kopffarben complements Matthias Werner's impressive and colorful music with light paintings that bring the mythological stories to life and immerse us deeply in them.

Spanning worlds

The harp is the instrument of angels. But it is also the instrument of the French Impressionists. Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy weren't the only ones to write shimmering, sparkling, and sun-drenched music for the 47-stringed instrument. Camille Saint-Saëns, labeled a classicist but incredibly versatile, also left us wonderful harp music, as did Jean Cras, a contemporary of Jules Massenet and Gabriel Fauré, who was an admiral by profession. The sweeping view over the sea and the whisper of the wind definitely left their mark on his enchanting chamber music! 

La Harpe

 "Rachmaninov had big hands!" But not only Rachmaninov, but also Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt, and perhaps even Johann Sebastian Bach: They are all part of the rapid journey through the history of the piano concerto, which we are taking together with Hyun-ki Joo, the British-Austrian pianist of Korean descent, who in the past twice shook up our Carnival concert with his partner in crime Aleksey Igudesman. The two have since gone their separate ways and launched successful solo careers. What has remained, however, is Hyung-ki Joo's irrepressible joy in musical storytelling, according to the motto: "Everything you always wanted to know about the piano, but were never afraid to ask!" Entertaining and knowledgeable, fast-paced and highly emotional: All of this is our concert Pur 4 , which we hope will give even piano novices a few catchy tunes!

Piano Pure

Finally back in the hall – and summer has now arrived! There couldn't be a better combination for an open day, a summer festival in and around the Beethovenhalle. At the Orchestra Festival, the audience can expect a varied program with chamber music performances, instrument presentations, and the popular Open Philharmonics. We look forward to welcoming young and old, orchestra newcomers and long-time members alike – we want to celebrate the music and our, your hall, with all of you! Of course, our audience orchestra can't be missing: Fifty of our musicians and more than 100 enthusiastic musical guests from Bonn and the surrounding area will set sail for a grand orchestral adventure.

Orchestra Festival with Open Philharmonics

Beethovenhalle

A great journey into the inner human being: This is Johann Sebastian Bach's St. Matthew Passion , perhaps the most significant religious musical work of the 18th century, which can still touch us today as it did 300 years ago: with its story of faith and doubt, of loyalty and betrayal, of hope and despair. In contrast to its dramatic sister, the St. John Passion , the focus of the St. Matthew Passion is on the inner journey that we all take when we relive and experience the suffering of Jesus Christ. And the St. Matthew Passion is not just a work for believers, for those connected to the Christian religion, but it also questions our values, our relationship to life and death, to this world and the next. The scope and instrumentation are larger, more powerful than in the St. John Passion : two choirs and two orchestras are contrasted, symbolizing the earthly and the divine spheres.

St. Matthew Passion

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