Name: 8th German Patient Congress on Depression for Sufferers and Relatives
Start: 2026-05-30T10:00:00
Location: Alte Oper

Alte Oper Frankfurt

When you hear the first notes with your eyes closed, you could swear it was Barry, Robin and Maurice standing on stage singing their world-famous hits. But it's not the Bee Gees who are taking the audience on a musical journey through their decades-long successful career. It's the Dutch band MainCourse – phenomenal winners of the TV talent show ‘The Tribute – Battle of the Bands’ in 2024. But MainCourse goes far beyond a tribute show: they transport the magic of yesteryear into the present, with the energy of 2025 and the power of a band that makes concert halls shake. Their shows are not mere imitations, but a thrilling experience that puts the timeless hits of the Bee Gees in a contemporary light.

Bee Gees by MainCourse

Alte Oper

A glance at the skyline of the banking metropolis of Frankfurt am Main is a daily reminder of what most of the buildings built so close to the sky stand for: the most earthly thing man has ever created - money. In the May edition of the DaschSalon, soprano singer and presenter Annette Dasch and her guests want to get to the bottom of the everyday, the necessary and the profane. What do we really need? What remains when appearances and illusions fall away? Or: What would we take with us to the proverbial 'desert island'? And when this is explored, as always, in the form of music, song and poetry, a connection to the heavenly is created.

Annette's Dasch Salon

Miles Davis would have been 100 years old on 26 May 2026. The hr-Bigband is taking this milestone birthday as an opportunity to pay a very special tribute to the jazz legend, who himself performed at the Alte Oper in 1990. The ensemble will pay tribute to the collaborative work of Miles Davis and arranger Gil Evans by performing the complete works of 'Miles Ahead', 'Porgy and Bess' and 'Sketches of Spain', written between 1957 and 1960, in one evening with three exquisite soloists. The three albums are regarded as epochal and groundbreaking works that would forever shape the musical landscape of orchestral jazz. Miles Ahead" marked the beginning of the successful collaboration between the two musicians and laid the foundation for their later status as musical legends. But the two albums that followed also explored the possibilities of jazz in large formations and made jazz history.

Miles Davis 100

Following his successful 2025 tour, Steve Hackett is delighted to treat his fans to another year of incredible guitar riffs, this time featuring Genesis' greatest hits and highlights from his solo career. Hackett is also delighted to introduce two new members of his band: Swedish keyboard virtuoso Lalle Larsson, who replaces long-time band member Roger King, and Felix Lehrmann, the German drummer who succeeds Craig Blundell. With the Best of Genesis & Solo Gems 2026 Tour, Hackett will be stopping off at some of Germany's most beautiful venues in May 2026.

Steve Hackett

8th German Patient Congress on Depression for Sufferers and Relatives

Enlightening insights: when musicologist Dr Ulrike Kienzle invites you to the Albert Mangelsdorff Foyer before the concert by the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, scores are opened, themes compared, musical examples listened to and in-depth knowledge about works and their creation imparted. An event that provides new listening experiences and increases the anticipation of the concert that follows!

Kienzle's Classics

It is a young, but all the more beautiful tradition: shortly before the end of the season, great orchestral sound prepares a feast for the ears. The Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden is the orchestra of honour. In the 1840s, Richard Wagner referred to the orchestra, which he himself led as court conductor, with sincere affection as a 'wonderful harp'. Since then, the art-loving metropolis on the River Elbe has been a constant source of Wagnerian music. For the orchestra festival at the Alte Oper, the Dresdeners will continue to focus on Wagner, placing him in a surprising field of tension: Camille Saint-Saëns and Claude Debussy were among the German Romantic composer's greatest admirers and harshest critics. The Sächsische Staatskapelle, its principal conductor Daniele Gatti and Gautier Capuçon will devote themselves to these three magicians of sound par excellence.

Orchestra Festival: Saxon State Orchestra Dresden

From the 1960s onwards, political engagement became a central driving force behind the work of composer Hans Werner Henze. The 'voices' that speak in different languages are those of the poor and disenfranchised, as captured by politically engaged poets from around the world. The result is a cycle that has affinities with musical theatre, offering a stirring musical experience that consciously follows in the tradition of Hanns Eisler and Paul Dessau.

Ensemble Modern

The response to their performances in Germany was overwhelming - long-time fans flocked to the concert halls, while many new listeners discovered the fascinating mix of classical music, rock and pop. The TEN TENORS had not performed in Germany for ten years, so the excitement was all the greater when they made their triumphant return in 2025. Long time fans were once again enthralled, while a whole new generation of concert-goers discovered their unique show. Particularly impressive was the fact that the TEN TENORS surprised the audience with songs they had rehearsed especially for the German tour. Titles such as 'Komet' by Udo Lindenberg & Apache 207 or '99 Luftballons' by Nena were enthusiastically received by the audience.

Ten Tenors

Alexander Malofeev's debut was brilliant! The pianist stepped in for the ill Evgeny Kissin at a concert of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra - and the audience could hardly contain itself. The Frankfurt audience rewarded Malofeev's virtuoso playing with thunderous applause, not so much for its power as for its melody and transparency. It was high time for the 23-year-old to give a recital at the Alte Oper. Malofeev readily admits that he feels most at home alone on stage. He then gives an insight into his world of sound: "It's always my own space, even when hundreds of people are listening. I let them in. I like to create my own space. In the Mozart Hall, Malofeev creates a sound space that spans Scandinavia, France, Vienna and his Russian homeland: Characteristic pieces glowing in intense colours.

Alexander Malofeev, piano

Music and time go hand in hand. And time is endless, especially when you're only seven years old. Or when you're bored. But the sense of time disappears when you are swallowed up by a world of wonder. In its production ‘Tempo’, the Dutch Oorkaan Ensemble makes classical music accessible to young and old. The musicians play works by Beethoven, Brahms, Monteverdi and others, as well as pieces composed especially for the ensemble, and know how to turn the music from a second into a minute and vice versa. They speed up and slow down and are not afraid to break the rules. With Tempo, time seems to fly and stand still at the same time! This concert in the Alte Oper's ‘Klangforscher’ series is aimed at children aged six and over and their families.

Tempo

The last concert of the season brings us a reunion with an old friend. Sebastian Weigle, long-standing principal conductor and artistic director of the Museumskonzerte, returns to the podium of the Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra for the first time since his retirement.