Name: Free concert by the district administrator in the church in Altenbergen – admission free → donations welcome
Start: 2026-05-10T17:00:00
Location: Kloster St. Gabriel

Alexej Barchevitch

Bastian Uhlig

Thüringen Philharmonie Gotha-Eisenach

Like no other 18th-century composer, Christoph Gluck paved the way for the intellectual world of Romanticism and, consequently, for Richard Wagner's great mythological narratives. The connection between Gluck and Wagner is unique in the world of opera: Wagner revered Gluck and paid him homage with his new orchestration and German translation of "Iphigenia in Aulis." This arrangement forges a musical bridge between the operatic aesthetics of the 18th and 19th centuries and reveals Gluck as a crucial precursor to Wagner's Romantic music drama.

Iphigenia In Aulis

Friedrichsforum, Bayreuth

Who doesn't know the enchanting story of Mowgli, the foundling raised by wild wolves in the Indian jungle? It comes from the famous "Jungle Book," a collection of stories and poems by the British author Rudyard Kipling. The courageous Mowgli, the ever-cheerful bear Baloo, the clever panther Bagheera, and the evil tiger Shere Khan became world-famous in 1967 thanks to Walt Disney's fantastic animated adventure. Disney's "Jungle Book" is one of the most successful films of all time, not least because of its wealth of melodies that have long since become evergreens. And now you can experience these melodies in a completely new guise in concert. Author Patrick Rohbeck and arranger Stefan Goerge have reworked and arranged "The Jungle Book" for the Thuringia Philharmonic Gotha-Eisenach. Join us in the mysterious jungle and experience a captivating story about a friendship that transcends boundaries. Sing along with the wacky orangutan King Louie, laugh at the hilarious elephant parade, and be hypnotized by the cunning snake Kaa. Of course, the Oscar-winning song "The Bare Necessities" is also included. This and all the other fantastic hits make "The Jungle Book" a unique musical treat for the whole family.

THE JUNGLE BOOK – Family Concert

Kulturhaus Gotha

Landestheater Eisenach

"Orpheus! Is it illusion, is it truth?" – Christoph Willibald Gluck's opera opens immediately with Orpheus's heart-rending lament for his deceased wife, Eurydice. The god Cupid, however, enables him to free his beloved Eurydice from the underworld. On his way out of Hades, he refuses, as instructed by the gods, to look at Eurydice – causing her to doubt his love. When Orpheus finally turns to her, Eurydice plunges back into the underworld. With his fatal decision and action, Orpheus unleashes an avalanche of emotions and demonstrates that art, music, and song, in the name of love, can conquer the terrors of death. The various musical settings of the Orpheus myth have repeatedly marked innovations on the operatic stage. Thus, Gluck placed his masterpiece entirely at the service of the reform opera he championed, moving away from the contrived virtuosity of opera seria towards a focused, dramatic narrative with expressively emotional music. Gluck's setting of the story of Orpheus possesses an unprecedented dramatic truthfulness, allowing the audience to deeply empathize with the lovers' emotional world. The internationally acclaimed star countertenor Valer Sabadus, who was Artist in Residence with the Thuringia Philharmonic Gotha-Eisenach during the 2023/24 season, will sing the title role of Orpheus. He is one of the foremost interpreters of the role and will undoubtedly set a high standard for this series of performances. The Thuringia Philharmonic Baroque Orchestra will perform under the musical direction of Baroque specialist Michael Hofstetter, Artistic Director of the International Gluck Festival Nuremberg.

Luck – Orpheus

Friedenskirche

Margravial Opera House Bayreuth

Altes Rathaus Nuremberg

In this city in western Thuringia, mystical legends and centuries-old buildings blend with exceptional garden culture. Here, the largest single Chinese garden in Europe and the oldest town hall in Germany stand just a few meters apart.

In The Paradise Garden Of Sounds

Church of St. Peter and Paul

Just a few kilometers away, in the region around Georgenthal, another world unfolds: the Dinosaur Adventure Trail, a geo-route in the UNESCO Global Geopark "Inselsberg – Drei Gleichen". This approximately 15.2 km long circular trail takes families on a journey back 100 million years. Along the path are life-size dinosaur models – accompanied by information panels that explain life and the landscape in prehistoric times.

THE JUNGLE BOOK – Family Concert at the Dinosaur Adventure Trail

Saurier-Erlebnispfad

The symphony concert "In the Paradise Garden of Sounds" invites you on a sensual journey of discovery to Asia – a musical excursion that ignites the imagination and touches the soul. Selected works bring the exoticism of Asian soundscapes to life in diverse interpretations and adaptations by composers from both the Far East and the West – a feast for the senses that presents Asia in all its magic, grace, and complexity. Like a "Chinese garden," a place where mind and nature are in harmonious exchange, this program unveils the multifaceted Asian sound techniques and colors: pentatonic scales, gongs, and exotic percussion. These blend with the symphonic texture to create a tapestry of sound full of mystery, mysticism, and beauty. This music opens spaces for the imagination and awakens a deep, yearning feeling within us. Like a dream between reality and imagination, the exotic melodies inevitably transport you to distant landscapes, mystical temples, and blossoming gardens beyond the everyday.

Stadthalle Gotha

The OktoPLUS Ensemble of the Thuringia Philharmonic Gotha-Eisenach will be performing.

MUSIC MEETS SCIENCE – Concert to open the Ilmenau Science Night

Ilmenau University of Technology

ORPHEUS – Baroque Impulse

The relationship between Robert and Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms is one of the most fascinating triangular relationships in music history. It was characterized by deep friendship, profound artistic admiration, and emotional intimacy that—one might hope—always remained within the bounds of social conventions. Robert Schumann, the visionary composer and music writer, and Clara Schumann, the exceptional pianist and passionate interpreter of his works, had a marriage marked by intense musical collaboration, but also by Robert's recurring mental health crises. When the twenty-year-old Johannes Brahms entered the couple's lives in 1853—young, brimming with creative energy, and possessing a talent that Robert celebrated with ecstatic enthusiasm as opening up "new paths" in music—a particularly close bond developed between the three of them. Robert treated the young Brahms with fatherly affection, nurtured his talent, and recognized his extraordinary genius, while Clara saw him as a kindred spirit and intellectual companion. Whether a love ever developed between her and Brahms that transcended the boundaries of friendship remains uncertain—a shadowy, fascinating mystery that continues to surround music history.

ROBERT & CLARA SCHUMANN VS. JOHANNES BRAHMS – The Shadow of Love

The spa and rose town of Bad Langensalza has already garnered several titles. It has been named "Europe's Most Blooming City" and "Germany's Most Beautiful Small Town." And rightly so, considering its historic waterways, numerous themed gardens and parks, or its status as a state-recognized health resort with natural remedies such as thermal brine. The Friederiken Therme is the heart of the spa facilities. The Friederiken Palace, with its surrounding baroque park, is perfect for leisurely strolls. In summer, the historic old town exudes a Mediterranean flair: palm trees, olive trees, lantana, and laurel bushes invite visitors to experience la dolce vita.

Picnic concert in the rose garden with jazz sensations

Rosengarten Bad Langensalza

In July 2026, the courtyard of Friedenstein Castle will be transformed into a spectacular open-air stage: With KING'S SKIN, playwright and director Wolfsmehl brings a musical theater piece to Gotha that combines history, emotional power, and state-of-the-art staging techniques into a unique experience. The drama tells the story of a king who undergoes a radical transformation through abuse of power, betrayal, and the intervention of personified Time. Themes such as transience, betrayal, guilt, love, and the search for redemption form the powerful heart of this story.

KING'S SKIN | A drama about time and transformation

Schloss Friedenstein Gotha

ORPHEUS – Ekhof Festival – Baroque Impulse

The Thuringia Philharmonic Orchestra Gotha-Eisenach is performing.