EPSG:4326

Guest performance

Dvorana Union

Musikverein

Forum am Schlosspark

Gasteig HP8

Meistersingerhalle

Paris has seen several World's Fairs. In addition to the one in 1889, where Debussy found groundbreaking inspiration through gamelan music, the 1900 Exposition literally ushered in a new century: the Métro was opened. Life now moved at a new pace to the rattling rhythm of subways, engines, and machines. It was to this Paris that Igor Stravinsky presented his ballet music "The Rite of Spring" in 1913, overwhelming and outraged the premiere audience with the archaic and percussive power of his composition. While the "Jazz Age" was in full swing in the USA, George Gershwin experienced its French counterpart around fifteen years later – a bustling, golden Paris in his "Années folles," whose impression he set to music in "An American in Paris." Gershwin's playful, "symphonic jazz" and Stravinsky's energizing beacon meet as electrifying poles in the two choreographies by Jeroen Verbruggen and Marco Goecke.

Festival Finale

Forum at the Castle Park

Delicate and powerful, pure and unaffected: In 1982, at the age of eleven, Midori captivated the New York Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta. Over 40 years later, the concert violinist has mastered this strength down to the smallest detail: she regularly delights audiences around the world with her playing and program selection, which are characterized by elegant precision, profound expressiveness, and great intellect. The idyllic setting of the lakeside palace Monrepos offers a rare opportunity to experience the celebrated artist up close and in a small group at work. In collaboration with Özgür Aydin, the works for violin and piano by Beethoven, Ravel, Schubert, and Poulenc guide the listener through the transitions from Classical to Romantic and melodic Modern – inviting them to leave behind all sense of time.

Midori

Monrepos Lakeside Palace

For five years now, Ludwigsburg's market square has been an integral part of the festival summer, making it not only the heart of the city but also a meeting place for the Palace Festival and its audience. This tradition continues in 2025, with a stage between the fountain and the city church offering a mix of pop, folk, and indie bands, a jazz combo, and the communal circle dance "Dabke" – as usual, free of charge and under the open sky. But that's not all. This year's season sees the festival opening up several new venues in the city and looking forward to new encounters: Against the backdrop of Favorite Palace, classical chamber music ensembles invite you to princely, yet free, open-air concerts in the palace gardens. The park music rounds out the intimate concerts in the Favorite Palace's interior, which are also a novelty and highlight of the new festival season.

Music Outdoors

Schloss Favorite, Ludwigsburg

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Bach reached the pinnacle of his contrapuntal creativity at a time when the century was turning its back on him. Fortunately for his posterity, otherwise he would not have left behind one of the most coveted and yet most difficult works in cello literature. The purist beauty of the music, coupled with its technical difficulties, as well as the numerous unanswered questions of interpretation, lead some cellists to devote their entire lives to intensive study of the suites. Alexander Warenberg, too, has taken on this life's work. In addition to his award from ARD, he also received a special prize from the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2024 for his performance in the final round of the music competition. At Schloss Favorite, you will have the opportunity to experience this promising cellist at work. In addition to the dance suites, Alexander Warenberg will also present a Bach-inspired sonata by the Belgian composer Eugène Ysaÿe.

Alexander Warenberg

Travel through the seasons with Tchaikovsky, experience the great operatic moments with Liszt: Much is possible on the piano, as demonstrated not only by the two composers, but also by pianist Jean-Paul Gasparian. In his dazzling concert at the lakeside palace of Monrepos, the young French-Armenian musician will first lead the audience through Tchaikovsky's twelve character pieces – one dedicated to each month, with three pieces depicting the special features of a particular season. Poetic settings of specific themes such as Carnival and the approaching spring, the harvest and hunting season, the melancholy of autumn, and, finally, the joy of Christmas will be heard. Liszt also took great delight in the operatic music of his contemporaries Wagner and Verdi, and paid homage to them by transforming the core scenes and original gestures of the operas into multi-layered, virtuoso piano paraphrases.

Jean-paul Gasparian

In her early 30s, soprano Aurora Marthens is no newcomer to the classical music world; after all, she has been a member of the Vienna State Opera ensemble since 2022 and already counts numerous performances and awards to her resume. However, the second prize and the Audience Award at the 2024 ARD Music Competition pave the way for the Finnish singer to greater international success. With her radiant presence and voluminous voice, she has already brought operatic roles by Wagner and Richard Strauss, among others, to the stage in concerts in Palermo, Helsinki, and Vienna; she will also bring some of these large-scale arias to the Schlossfestspiele and complement them with heartfelt, romantic song compositions by Wagner, Strauss, and her compatriot Sibelius. The "Four Last Songs," which Strauss wrote a year before his death, are particularly captivating with their lyrical exploration of life, farewell, and death. Three of the four songs were based on poems by Hermann Hesse. The particularly moving song "At Sleep" lets the soul "float in free flight, to live deeply and a thousandfold in the magic circle of the night."

Aurora Marthens

"Todo cambia, menos el tango," goes an Argentinian proverb. "Everything changes, except the tango." And yet Astor Piazzolla succeeded in revolutionizing precisely this genre. His recipe for success: The composer complemented the rousing rhythms of the "Tango Argentino" with classical elements and jazzy timbres to create a finely balanced stylistic kaleidoscope. His "Tango Nuevo" was born, with which he rescued the traditional Argentinian tango from the disreputable establishments of Buenos Aires and established it as a virtuoso art form. While Piazzolla had to endure some hostility from his contemporaries for his "high treason against the tango," today he is celebrated for his stylistic revolution as one of the most important composers in modern music history. Since his death in 1992, his wife, Laura Escalada Piazzolla, has dedicated herself to preserving his valuable artistic legacy, launching the "Astor Piazzolla Quintet" project specifically for this purpose. As the only ensemble with access to the tango revolutionary's complete legacy, the ensemble has been faithfully bringing his unique sound into the present for 20 years – thus fulfilling Piazzolla's lifelong ambition to create a tango that would transcend time.

Astor Piazzolla Quintet

First to the concert, then to the party? Munich's arcis_collective takes a different approach, inviting you to fully immerse yourself in the nightlife with dance performances and saxophones. With its "Quirky Nightclub Chronicles," it brings the flair of trendy nightclubs to concert halls—and also to the vaulted cellar of our Palais Grävenitz. Creative, powerful, and a little eccentric: You can expect dance, rousing rhythms, fresh sounds, and captivating stories that leave a lasting impression. The collective will top it off with a DJ set—a party for everyone until late into the night.

Graevenitz Goes Nightclub

Grävenitz

Music has an incredible amount to say, and one could really talk about music all day long, says Leonid Surkov. With his sometimes almost poetic statements, the Russian oboist is a pleasure to listen to. Leonid Surkov, currently a student at the Berlin University of the Arts, recently won first prize at the ARD Music Competition, breaking a 15-year drought in his field. It has been that long since there were any first-place winners. In fact, the prizewinner is only the fourth musician on his instrument to make it to the top – a sign that his career is firmly on track. Accompanied by pianist Kimiko Imani, he leads the way through his varied oboe program. In addition to sonatas by Poulenc, Medtner, and Saint-Saëns, Marina Dranischnikova's "Poème" also impresses. In between, Mozart's nod to Sacchini's magnificent coloratura piece from "L'eroe cinese" (The Chinese Hero) and the dreamy fantasy on Donizetti's "Poliuto" whisk you away into the entertaining sound worlds of the opera.

Leonid Surkov

"I am extremely happy, it went very quickly," wrote Antonín Dvořák under the heading of his 12th String Quartet, the sketch of which he completed in just a few days. The natural idyll of rural Spillville inspired him so deeply during his stay in the USA that the composition came easily. Along with his Ninth Symphony, "From the New World," which was also written in America, this string quartet is one of his most famous works. Dvořák's soulful chamber music provides a positive moment of calm in the Alinde Quintet's otherwise melancholic program: in arrangements for wind quintet, the up-and-coming Czech ensemble explores the emotional complexity of Josef Suk's elegiac, pleading meditation, Pēteris Vask's composition "For a Deceased Friend," and Shostakovich's plaintive Eighth String Quartet.

Alinde Quintet

Virtuosic in the middle register, tenderly melancholic in the upper register, and finally a rich, sonorous depth that immerses you in the music: the exciting facets of the cello are particularly palpable in the concert by Krzysztof Michalski and Yanjun Chen. Not only because two outstanding, dedicated performers perform together, but above all thanks to their program. Schubert wrote his A minor sonata for the arpeggione, a middle-range hybrid instrument that only briefly enjoyed popularity, somewhere between guitar, viola, and cello. Translating it to viola or cello was a natural choice and quickly became established after Schubert's publication. Michalski addresses this virtuoso piece with nimble finesse at the beginning of the intimate palace concert. The following Brahms sonata rocks in melancholy E minor, whereas Poulenc's sonata flirts with light-footed elegance. At the end, Michalski and Chen go all out and sweep everyone away with Rachmaninoff's powerful and beautiful tonal language.

Krzysztof Michalski

Inspired by the strong communal values ​​and functionalist aesthetics of the American Shaker community, Finnish choreographer Tero Saarinen choreographed "Borrowed Light" – one of his greatest international successes. "Borrowed Light" premiered in 2004 as a European co-production and toured major venues in Europe, North America, and Oceania from 2004 to 2014, reaching more than 50,000 people on its tour. Twenty years after its successful premiere and ten years after the end of the tour, the piece returns to the stage. With a powerful pull, eight dancers and the eight vocal voices of the Boston Camerata transport the audience into a minimalist world that, while drawing inspiration from the architecture and design of the Shaker religious community, is ultimately dedicated above all to the sense of community and conscious devotion. The fusion of harmonious Shaker hymns and ritualized movements reinforces the collective identity. But at what point do rigid values ​​push the individual to the limits of his or her devotion?

Tero Saarinen Company

Johann Strauss composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, and mazurkas over the course of his life—not for nothing is he nicknamed the "Waltz King." But he not only composed dance pieces; he also wrote thrilling operettas for the stage, including "Die Fledermaus." To mark his 200th birthday, the program includes waltzes and arias from the popular operetta, as well as other works with dance-like, celebratory verve by Alexander von Zemlinsky and Richard Strauss. Accompanied by a magnificent fireworks display, Vinzenz Praxmarer and the Divertimento Viennese Orchestra will transform the lakeside palace of Monrepos into an atmospheric, expansive Viennese ball scene of the fin-de-siècle.

Monrepos Open Air

Even musicians later considered geniuses had to apply officially for a position. This was the case for Johann Sebastian Bach, who in 1723 received confirmation of his long-awaited position as Thomaskantor in Leipzig. The following 27 years of his artistic career were henceforth characterized by service to the church, in particular the composition of cantatas for Sunday services. Around 200 of these multi-movement works for vocals and instrumental accompaniment by Bach have survived. These works—embedded in Christian doctrine—tell of central human experiences. The personal path from suffering to heavenly redemption—or, in universal terms, that life is not just a leisurely stroll—is the subject of the two cantatas presented by the Gaechinger Cantorey in Ludwigsburg's Schlosskirche. As an internationally renowned period ensemble, the ensemble impressively demonstrates the high artistry with which Bach traces the human journey to the "place of longing, heaven" in a timeless and still moving musical language.

Gaechinger Chantory

Ludwigsburg Residential Palace

Named after the title character in Richard Strauss's opera "Arabella," Steinbacher grew up in a family of musicians and began playing the violin at the age of three. It's hardly surprising, then, that her personal connection to Strauss's music was practically instilled in her from birth. Ultimately, however, Arabella Steinbacher devotes herself to the entire violin repertoire and has been one of the great stars of the string firmament for many years. She performs not only as a soloist but also as a chamber music partner—for example, in a duo with the versatile pianist and arranger Peter von Wienhardt. With dance-like verve and sophisticated arrangements of well-known opera and ballet music, including, of course, music by Strauss, the two musicians present a spirited chamber concert.

Arabella Steinbacher

The Boston Camerata regularly delights numerous music lovers with its groundbreaking programs. Particularly through its presentation of early American music, the Camerata explains and preserves the rich cultural identity of North America. In the Haigerloch Castle Church, the vocal ensemble shares its enthusiasm for the music of the USA's founding fathers and artfully traces the trends of early American song. Along both spiritual and secular paths, the musical traditions of various religious communities that found their home in the so-called New World can be found: the Puritans in New England, the visionary Shakers, the Amish and Mennonites in Pennsylvania, and the newly liberated African-American religious communities. Their works of art document life on the North American continent as a spiritual quest and provide a deep insight into the depths of the American soul.

Boston Camera

Abel Selaocoe finds his home in the cello – and at the same time a means of expressing the many different kinds of "home." For the South African musician, people, melodies, vocal techniques, spiritual rituals, and the all-encompassing love are also important places of refuge, as he explores them musically in his album "Hae ke Kae" (Sesotho for "Where is home?"). What is special about Selaocoe is that he combines cello playing with (throat) singing, percussion, and improvisation, building bridges between Western and South African musical traditions. The Italian composer Giovanni Sollima also knows how to blend different styles. In addition to his six-movement cycle "When We Were Trees," Caroline Shaw's contemporary response to Haydn's last string quartet and David Fennessy's weightless sonic impression of the deserted island of Hirta complement the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra's musical search for home.

Abel Selaocoe

The student becomes the teacher – and in turn learns from his students. Only four years separated Benjamin Appl's private lessons with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and the start of his teaching in London in 2016 at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He also shares his knowledge in international workshops and masterclasses. "The wonderful thing about teaching is that you learn so much about yourself. I see teaching as learning," Appl explains in an interview with Klassik Radio. You can gain an insight into such a trusting and inspiring teaching situation at the public masterclass on July 14. He will work with selected vocal students from the Stuttgart University of Music and Performing Arts (HMDK) for 30 to 45 minutes to fine-tune their song interpretations. The class is open to interested listeners, and admission is possible at any time during the afternoon.

Public Masterclass

Schubert, who died young, had no idea while composing this sonata that it would be his penultimate piano sonata. Yet the A major sonata stands out for its poetic – some say prescient – ​​otherness. The piano recital begins accordingly lyrically and sensitively. Schumann's impetuous and sensitive Davidsbündlertänze glide and leap across the keyboard in rich contrast, ultimately evolving into exuberant Lisztian virtuosity. The Russian pianist Arcadi Volodos presents his three-part recital in the Forum am Schlosspark, with which he recently thrilled the Salzburg Festival audience, with a consummate performance. "Volodos wouldn't be Volodos if Liszt's sinfully difficult musical text weren't too easy for him. He needs his own, even more difficult version," says BR-Klassik, describing the keyboardist. In addition to his technical brilliance, for which he has been celebrated since the early 1990s, he also knows how to sensitively bring out the romantic nuances.

Events in Ludwigsburg

Guest performance

WDR Sinfonieorchester

Festival Finale

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

Midori

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

Music Outdoors

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

The Artelize Podcast and ...

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The Artelize Podcast - A ...

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The Artelize Podcast: A l...

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Alexander Warenberg

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

Jean-paul Gasparian

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

Aurora Marthens

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

Astor Piazzolla Quintet

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

Graevenitz Goes Nightclub...

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

Leonid Surkov

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

Alinde Quintet

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

Krzysztof Michalski

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

Tero Saarinen Company

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

Monrepos Open Air

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

Gaechinger Chantory

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

Arabella Steinbacher

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

Boston Camera

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

Abel Selaocoe

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

Public Masterclass

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

Arcadi Volodos

Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele