Rheingau Music Prize
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The (RMF) is an international summer music festival in Germany, founded in 1987. It is mostly for classical music, but includes other genres. Concerts take place at culturally important locations, such as
Eberbach Abbey Eberbach Abbey (German: Kloster Eberbach) is a former Cistercian monastery in Eltville in the Rheingau, Germany. On account of its Romanesque architecture, Romanesque and Gothic (architecture), early Gothic buildings it is considered one of the m ...
and
Schloss Johannisberg Schloss Johannisberg is a Neoclassical architecture, neoclassical palace and historic winery located in the village of Johannisberg (Geisenheim), Johannisberg, west of Wiesbaden in Hesse, within the renowned Rheingau (wine region), Rheingau win ...
, in the wine-growing
Rheingau The Rheingau (; ) is a region on the northern side of the Rhine between the German towns of Wiesbaden and Lorch, Hesse, Lorch near Frankfurt, reaching from the Western Taunus to the Rhine. It is situated in the German state of Hesse and is part ...
region between
Wiesbaden Wiesbaden (; ) is the capital of the German state of Hesse, and the second-largest Hessian city after Frankfurt am Main. With around 283,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 24th-largest city. Wiesbaden form ...
and Lorch.


Initiative and realisation

The festival was the initiative of
Michael Herrmann Michael Herrmann (born 4 February 1944) is a German culture and music administrator. He founded the Rheingau Musik Festival in 1987 and is its Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer. He also runs a concert agency in the Frankfurt Alte Oper, ...
, who has served as its artistic director and chief executive officer. Like the
Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival The Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival (SHMF) is a classical music festival held each summer throughout the state of Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany. History The festival was founded in 1986 by German concert pianist and conductor Justus Fr ...
founded in 1986, the Rheingau festival was intended to add life to a region rich in musical heritage. The
gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...
church of
Kiedrich Kiedrich is a municipality in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. Geography Kiedrich lies in the Rheingau region on the southern slope of the Taunus mountains, approximately 2 km north of th ...
houses the oldest playable organ in Germany, and has its own "dialect" of
Gregorian chant Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainsong, plainchant, a form of monophony, monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek language, Greek) of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed main ...
that dates back to 1333. In more recent times, the Rheingau has inspired composers such as
Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period (music), Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, oft ...
, who composed his Symphony No. 3 in Wiesbaden and frequently stayed in Rüdesheim, and
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...
, who worked on in Biebrich. To test the festival idea, two concerts took place in Eberbach Abbey in the summer of 1987. In November 1987 the was founded by Michael Herrmann, Tatiana von Metternich-Winneburg,
Walter Fink Walter Fink (16 August 1930 – 13 April 2018) was a German entrepreneur and a patron of contemporary classical music. He is known for being a founding member, executive committee member and sponsor of the Rheingau Musik Festival, where he initiat ...
, Hans Otto Jung, Michael Bolenius, Hans-Clemens Lucht, Ulrich Rosin and Claus Wisser. The association organized the festival from the first season in 1988 which included 19 concerts until 1992. It has continued to support the festival since. The RMF receives significant financial help from sponsors who choose to fund their own concerts. The is under the patronage of the minister-president of Hesse. Michael Herrmann was awarded the Goethe-Plakette of Hesse in 2002. The RMF has grown to be one of Germany's important festivals presenting around 140 events every summer with international orchestras, ensembles and soloists. It is a member of the
European Festivals Association The European Festivals Association (EFA) is an umbrella group for various festivals in Europe and other countries. It supports artistic cooperation among festivals and offers programs for new festival and artistic managers. It represents more than ...
. For the 2023 season, 164 concerts at 29 locations were announced. On 17 June 2012, the 25th anniversary of the festival was celebrated at the
Kurhaus, Wiesbaden The Kurhaus ("cure house", ) is the spa house in Wiesbaden, the capital of Hesse, Germany. It serves as the city's convention centre, and the social center of the spa town. In addition to a large and a smaller hall, it houses a restaurant and th ...
.


Locations

The concerts of the first season took place at , in the hall and church of Schloss Johannisberg, at St. Martin in Lorch (part of the
Rhine Gorge The Rhine Gorge is a popular name for the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a section of the Rhine between Koblenz and Rüdesheim in the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse in Germany. It was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in Ju ...
World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
), at the
Rheingauer Dom is the colloquial name for the Catholic parish church in Geisenheim, Germany. Officially (Holy Cross), the large church in the Rheingau region is called ''Dom'' although it was never a Cathedra, bishop's seat. The present building was begun in th ...
in
Geisenheim Geisenheim is a town in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt (region), Darmstadt in Hessen, Germany, and is known as ''Weinstadt'' (“Wine Town”), ''Schulstadt'' (“School Town”), ''Domstadt'' (“Cathedral Town ...
, and in Wiesbaden at the Marktkirche and the
Kurhaus Kurhaus (German for "spa house" or "health resort") may refer to: * Kurhaus of Baden-Baden in Germany * Kurhaus, Wiesbaden in Germany * Kurhaus, Meran in South Tyrol, Italy * Kurhaus of Scheveningen The Kurhaus of Scheveningen, The Hague in th ...
. Important locations have also included
Schloss Vollrads Schloss Vollrads is a castle and a wine estate in the Rheingau wine-growing region in Germany. It has been making wine for over 800 years. History After the donation of Verona in 983 the archbishopric of Mainz, the new owner, invested in v ...
, the Abbey St. Hildegard in Eibingen, the churches St. Valentin in Kiedrich, the romanesque Basilika St. Aegidius of Mittelheim and in
Wiesbaden-Frauenstein Frauenstein () is the westernmost borough of the city of Wiesbaden, located in the Rhine Main Area near Frankfurt and capital of the federal state of Hesse, Germany. The borough has a population of approximately 2,400. The formerly independent vill ...
, the of the spa Schlangenbad, the Lutherkirche in
Wiesbaden Wiesbaden (; ) is the capital of the German state of Hesse, and the second-largest Hessian city after Frankfurt am Main. With around 283,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 24th-largest city. Wiesbaden form ...
and the
Alte Oper Alte Oper (Old Opera) is a concert hall in Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany. It is located in the inner city, Innenstadt, within the banking district Bankenviertel. Today's Alte Oper was built in 1880 as the city's opera house, which was destr ...
in
Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
. Concerts have been staged in churches such as
St. Jakobus, Rüdesheim St. Jakobus is a Catholic church and a former parish in Rüdesheim am Rhein, Hesse, Germany. It dates back to the 10th century, was expanded around 1400, and again in 1913/14. The church was severely damaged by bombing in World War II, and rebuilt ...
, castles and former presshouses (). An annual is held at Schloss Johannisberg while other open-air concerts have taken place in wineries and vineyards, on river boats, in the cloisters of Eberbach, the courts of Vollrads and the .


Program

Most events are dedicated to classical music, but cabaret, jazz, readings, musical cruises, children's concerts, wine tastings or culinary events with music add to a diverse program.


Opening concert

The is traditionally opened in Eberbach Abbey by a concert of the
hr-Sinfonieorchester The Frankfurt Radio Symphony () is the radio orchestra of Hessischer Rundfunk, the public broadcasting network of the German state of Hesse. Venues are Alte Oper and hr-Sendesaal. Music director is the French conductor Alain Altinoglu. Chief ...
, broadcast live. The first concert was on 23 June 1988 a performance of two works by C. P. E. Bach, his ''
Magnificat The Magnificat (Latin for "y soulmagnifies he Lord) is a canticle, also known as the Song of Mary or Canticle of Mary, and in the Byzantine Rite as the Ode of the Theotokos (). Its Western name derives from the incipit of its Latin text. This ...
'' and the oratorio ''
Die Israeliten in der Wüste ''Die Israeliten in der Wüste'' (The Israelites in the Desert) is an oratorio by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. Background While known mainly for his works in other genres, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach also composed several oratorios during his caree ...
''.
Frieder Bernius Frieder Bernius (born 22 June 1947) is a German conductor, the founder and director of the chamber choir Kammerchor Stuttgart, founded in 1968. They became leaders for historically informed performances. He founded the Stuttgart festival of Baroq ...
conducted the Kammerchor Stuttgart and the Barockorchester Stuttgart, with soloists
Nancy Argenta Nancy Argenta is a Canadian soprano singer, best known for performing music from the pre-classical era. She has won international acclaim, and is considered one of the leading Handel sopranos of her time. Life She was born in Nelson, British Col ...
, Lena Lootens,
Mechthild Georg Mechthild Georg is a German operatic mezzo-soprano, and a professor of voice at the Musikhochschule Köln. Career Georg studied Roman studies and history at the Cologne University, and music pedagogy at the Musikhochschule Köln. She then stud ...
,
Howard Crook Howard Crook (June 15, 1947 – August 27, 2024) was an American lyric tenor who lived and worked in the Netherlands and France beginning in the early 1980s. Life and career Crook was born in Rutherford, New Jersey, and educated at Baldwin-Wallac ...
and Stephen Roberts. A cycle of the symphonies of
Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic music, Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and ...
, conducted by
Paavo Järvi Paavo Järvi (; born 30 December 1962) is an Estonian conductor. He has been chief conductor of Zurich's Tonhalle since 2020. Early life Järvi was born in Tallinn, Estonia (then occupied by the Soviet Union), to Liilia Järvi and the Estoni ...
, continued in 2011 with the Fifth Symphony, programmed with Alban Berg's '' Sieben frühe Lieder'', sung by Elena Garanca. In 2013, Mahler's Sixth Symphony was preceded by Wagner's ''
Wesendonck Lieder , WWV 91, is the common name of a set of five songs for female voice and piano by Richard Wagner, (''Five Poems for a Female Voice''). He set five poems by Mathilde Wesendonck while he was working on his opera ''Tristan und Isolde''. The songs ...
'', sung by Anne Sofie von Otter. In 2016,
Christoph Eschenbach Christoph Eschenbach (; born 20 February 1940) is a German pianist and conductor. Early life Eschenbach was born on 20 February 1940 in Breslau, Germany (now Wrocław, Poland) as Christoph Ringmann. His parents were Margarethe (née Jaross), a ...
conducted Schubert's
Unfinished Symphony An unfinished symphony is a fragment of a symphony that is left incomplete. The reason as of why and the state of the sketches themselves can vary considerably. The death of the composer is the most common cause for a symphony to be left unfi ...
and Bruckner's Sixth Symphony The 2019 festival was opened by Dvořák's
Stabat Mater The Stabat Mater is a 13th-century Christian hymn to the Virgin Mary that portrays her suffering as mother during the crucifixion of her son Jesus Christ. Its author may be either the Franciscan friar Jacopone da Todi or Pope Innocent III.Saba ...
, with the
MDR Rundfunkchor MDR Rundfunkchor is the radio choir of the German broadcaster Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR), based in Leipzig, Saxony. Dating back to 1924, the choir became the radio choir of a predecessor of the MDR in 1946, then called Kammerchor des Senders ...
and the hr Sinfonieorchester conducted by
Andrés Orozco-Estrada Andrés Orozco-Estrada (born 14 December 1977) is a Colombian violinist and conductor, with dual nationality in Colombia and Austria. He is the Principal Conductor of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Designate of the Gü ...
. The 2020 festival had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 festival was opened on 26 June, traditionally by the hr-Sinfonieorchester, and as the last program with Orozco-Estrada. Due to restrictions, the 650 listeners were placed like a checker board, 2 seats taken, and 2 seats empty; the program was played without intermission.
Augustin Hadelich Augustin Hadelich (born April 4, 1984) is an Italian-German-American Grammy-winning classical violinist. Early life and education Augustin Hadelich was born in Cecina, Italy, to German parents. His two older brothers were already playing cello ...
was the soloist in the
Violin Concerto A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin (occasionally, two or more violins) and instrumental ensemble (customarily orchestra). Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up thro ...
by Jean Sibelius, which was followed by Mendelssohn's
Reformation Symphony The Symphony No. 5 in D major/D minor, Op. 107, known as the ''Reformation'', was composed by Felix Mendelssohn in 1830 in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession. The Confession is a key document of Luthera ...
. The concert was at the same time a charity concert of President
Frank-Walter Steinmeier Frank-Walter Steinmeier (; born 5 January 1956) is a German politician who has served as President of Germany since 2017. He was previously Minister for Foreign Affairs (Germany), federal minister for foreign affairs from 2005 to 2009 and again f ...
who spoke at the beginning with a focus on the support and encouragement of music students to follow their calling even in critical times. After the concert, he invited to a reception at various areas of the property, addressing each group there. The opening concert in 2023 was focused on French music with the
Te Deum The ( or , ; from its incipit, ) is a Latin Christian hymn traditionally ascribed to a date before AD 500, but perhaps with antecedents that place it much earlier. It is central to the Ambrosian hymnal, which spread throughout the Latin ...
by Berlioz, conducted by
Alain Altinoglu Alain Altinoglu (born 9 October 1975) is a French conductor of Armenian descent, and an academic teacher. He is chief conductor of both the La Monnaie opera in Brussels and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, and has conducted at international opera ...
.


Anniversaries

Every year, composers' anniversaries are celebrated. In 2009, six concerts were given each to music by Handel, including ''
Israel in Egypt ''Israel in Egypt'', HWV 54, is a biblical oratorio by the composer George Frideric Handel. Most scholars believe the libretto was prepared by Charles Jennens, who also compiled the biblical texts for Handel's ''Messiah''. It is composed enti ...
'' with the
Monteverdi Choir The Monteverdi Choir was founded in 1964 by Sir John Eliot Gardiner for a performance of the ''Vespro della Beata Vergine'' in King's College Chapel, Cambridge. A specialist Baroque ensemble, the Choir has become famous for its stylistic conv ...
under
John Eliot Gardiner Sir John Eliot Gardiner (born 20 April 1943) is an English conductor, particularly known for his performances of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, especially the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage of 2000, performing Church cantata (Bach), Bach's church ...
; by Haydn, including '' The Creation'' conducted by
Enoch zu Guttenberg Georg Enoch Robert Prosper Philipp Franz Karl Theodor Maria Heinrich Johannes Luitpold Hartmann Gundeloh Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg (29 July 1946 – 15 June 2018) was a German conductor. He also owned the large winery estate Weingut Reichs ...
; and by Mendelssohn, including ''
Elijah Elijah ( ) or Elias was a prophet and miracle worker who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Ahab (9th century BC), according to the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah defended the worsh ...
'' with the
Collegium Vocale Gent Collegium Vocale Gent is a Belgian musical ensemble of vocalists and supporting instrumentalists, founded by Philippe Herreweghe. The group specializes in historically informed performance. Founding and program Collegium Vocale Gent was founded ...
under
Philippe Herreweghe Philippe Maria François Herreweghe, Knight Herreweghe (born 2 May 1947) is a Belgian conductor and choirmaster. Herreweghe founded La Chapelle Royale and Collegium Vocale Gent and is renowned as a conductor, with a repertoire ranging from ...
. In 2010,
Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...
and
Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period who wrote primarily for Piano solo, solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown ...
were celebrated in 16 concerts, such as and piano music by Chopin with
Daniel Barenboim Daniel Moses Barenboim (; born 15 November 1942) is an Argentines, Argentine-Israeli classical pianist and conductor based in Berlin, who also has Spain, Spanish and State of Palestine, Palestinian citizenship. From 1992 until January 2023, Bare ...
. Seven concerts were devoted to Mahler and
Hugo Wolf Hugo Philipp Jacob Wolf (; ; 13 March 1860 – 22 February 1903) was an Austrian composer, particularly noted for his art songs, or Lieder. He brought to this form a concentrated expressive intensity which was unique in late Romantic music, so ...
, such as . Christian Gerhaher and Gerold Huber performed Mahler's (Seven Songs of Latter Days) and songs from . In 2011 they performed the composer's , and . 2014 remembers three anniversaries of birth, 450 of Shakespeare, 300 of C.P.E. Bach and 150 of
Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; ; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer and conductor best known for his Tone poems (Strauss), tone poems and List of operas by Richard Strauss, operas. Considered a leading composer of the late Roman ...
. Bach's oratorio was performed by
Hermann Max Hermann Max (born 1941 in Goslar) is a German choral conductor. In 1977, he founded the Jugendkantorei Dormagen, which in 1985 became the basis of the Rheinische Kantorei and Das Kleine Konzert. In 1992, he founded the Knechtsteden Early Music ...
conducting the
Rheinische Kantorei The Rheinische Kantorei is a German vocal ensemble of baroque music accompanied by an instrumental ensemble called Das Kleine Konzert. History The Rheinische Kantorei and Das Kleine Konzert were founded in 1977 by the German conductor Hermann M ...
and , with soloists
Veronika Winter Veronika Winter (born February 2, 1965, in Limburg an der Lahn) is a German soprano. She is particularly noted for her recordings of Baroque music. She studied musicology and Italian at the University of Erlangen A university () is an institut ...
,
Markus Schäfer Markus Schäfer (born 13 June 1961) is a German lyric tenor, a soloist in opera, oratorio, and ''Lied''. He has performed with major opera houses and with the ensemble La Petite Bande. He has been a professor of voice at the Musikhochschule Hann ...
and
Matthias Vieweg Matthias is a name derived from the Greek Ματθαίος, in origin similar to Matthew. Notable people Notable people named Matthias include the following: Religion * Saint Matthias, chosen as an apostle in Acts 1:21–26 to replace Judas Iscar ...
.


Theme

Every year, some concerts are grouped around a theme; in 2010, , in eight concerts, including one of the
ensemble amarcord Amarcord is a German male classical vocal ensemble based in Leipzig, founded in 1992 by five former members of the Thomanerchor. They primarily perform Medieval music and Renaissance music, as well as collaborating with Contemporary classical mus ...
, in 2011 the opposite: . The theme of 2014 was (Lovers). The theme of 2016, (Strong women), was expressed in a concert of Mad Songs of the time of
English restoration The Stuart Restoration was the reinstatement in May 1660 of the Stuart monarchy in Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland. It replaced the Commonwealth of England, established in January 164 ...
, performed by
Dorothee Mields Dorothee Mields (born 15 April 1971) is a German soprano concert singer of Baroque and contemporary music. Career Mields was born in Gelsenkirchen. She studied at the University of the Arts Bremen with Elke Holzmann, Harry van der Kamp and Ga ...
and the
Lautten Compagney lautten compagney BERLIN is a German instrumental ensemble based in Berlin. Founded in 1984 by Hans-Werner Apel and Wolfgang Katschner, now the principal conductor, it specializes in early music and Baroque music, notably the operas of Handel. ...
, combining folk songs and art songs mostly by
Henry Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: ; September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer of Baroque music, most remembered for his more than 100 songs; a tragic opera, Dido and Aeneas, ''Dido and Aeneas''; and his incidental music to a version o ...
. In 2023, the festival announced themes including works by
Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic music, Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and ...
, Bach's
Goldberg Variations The ''Goldberg Variations'' (), BWV 988, is a musical composition for keyboard by Johann Sebastian Bach, consisting of an aria and a set of thirty variations. First published in 1741, it is named after Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, who may ...
and Stravinsky's
Le Sacre du Printemps ''The Rite of Spring'' () is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1913 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company; the original choreography was by Vaslav Nijinsky ...
, both these works in several interpretations.


Treffpunkt Jugend

Soloists still in their teens are presented at the regular series (meeting point youth). They play in two Marathon concerts chamber music and concertos with orchestra.


Work cycles

Some performances are presented over several years, such as the piano sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven by
Rudolf Buchbinder Rudolf Buchbinder (born 1 December 1946, Litoměřice, Czechoslovakia) is an Austrian classical pianist. Biography Buchbinder studied with Bruno Seidlhofer at the Vienna Academy of Music. In 1965, he made a tour of North and South Americas. In ...
. From 2003 to 2011,
Eliahu Inbal Eliahu Inbal (; born 16 February 1936, Jerusalem) is an Israeli conductor. Inbal has enjoyed a career of international renown, conducting leading orchestras around the worlHe has conducted a wide variety of works. He is best known for his interpr ...
conducted a series of the complete symphonies of Bruckner at
Eberbach Abbey Eberbach Abbey (German: Kloster Eberbach) is a former Cistercian monastery in Eltville in the Rheingau, Germany. On account of its Romanesque architecture, Romanesque and Gothic (architecture), early Gothic buildings it is considered one of the m ...
with the
WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne The WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne (German: WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln) is a German radio orchestra based in Cologne, where the orchestra performs at two main concert halls: the WDR Funkhaus Wallrafplatz and the Kölner Philharmonie. Histo ...
, concluding with the unfinished Ninth Symphony.


Marienvesper

Every year on 15 August the
Assumption of Mary The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Catholic Mariology#Dogmatic teachings, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it on 1 November 1950 in his apostolic constitution as follows: It leaves open the question of w ...
is celebrated by a (
Vespers Vespers /ˈvɛspərz/ () is a Christian liturgy, liturgy of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Catholic (both Latin liturgical rites, Latin and Eastern Catholic liturgy, Eastern Catholic liturgical rites), Eastern Orthodox, Oriental O ...
for the Virgin Mary), in 2010 Monteverdi's was performed to mark the 400th anniversary of the work, with the
RIAS Kammerchor The RIAS Kammerchor (RIAS Chamber Choir) is a German choir based in Berlin, Germany. It receives support from the Rundfunk Orchester und Chöre GmbH Berlin ("Berlin Radio Orchestra and Choirs"), a limited-liability company owned by the public br ...
and the , conducted by
Hans-Christoph Rademann Hans-Christoph Rademann (born 5 August 1965 in Dresden) is a German choral conductor, currently the director of the Dresdner Kammerchor and the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart. Career Born in Dresden, Rademann grew up in Schwarzenberg ...
. In 2011 the ensemble Concerto Romano, conducted by Alessandro Quarta, performed a combination of works by composers from Rome,
Vincenzo Ugolini Vincenzo Ugolini (Perugia, 1 November 1578 - Rome, 6 May 1638) was an Italian composer of the early Baroque era and of the Roman School. Life Born in Perugia, he was first a ''puer chori'' (boy soprano) at San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome under Gio ...
(), Paolo Tarditi (c.1580–1661, ), Domenico Massenzio (d.1650, ""), and in particular
Lorenzo Ratti Lorenzo Ratti (c. 1589–1630) was an Italian baroque composer originating from Perugia. His parents were Girolamo and Isapaola Ugolini.https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/lorenzo-ratti_(Dizionario-Biografico)/, Noel O'Regan - Dizionario Biografic ...
(c.1589–1630). In 2013 Monteverdi's Vespers were performed again, this time by the
ensemble amarcord Amarcord is a German male classical vocal ensemble based in Leipzig, founded in 1992 by five former members of the Thomanerchor. They primarily perform Medieval music and Renaissance music, as well as collaborating with Contemporary classical mus ...
with additional singers, and the
Lautten Compagney lautten compagney BERLIN is a German instrumental ensemble based in Berlin. Founded in 1984 by Hans-Werner Apel and Wolfgang Katschner, now the principal conductor, it specializes in early music and Baroque music, notably the operas of Handel. ...
conducted by
Wolfgang Katschner Wolfgang Katschner (born 1961 in Kyritz) is a German lutenist and conductor. He is director of the ensembles Capella Angelica and Lautten Compagney which specialise in Baroque music—notably the operas of Handel. Katschner studied guitar at t ...
.


Organ concert

Organ concerts have been played on the historic instruments of the region by organists such as Marie Claire Alain,
Gabriel Dessauer Gabriel Dessauer (born 4 December 1955) is a German Cantor (church), cantor, concert organist, and academic teacher. After studies with Diethard Hellmann and Franz Lehrndorfer, he was responsible for the church music at St. Bonifatius, Wiesbaden ...
,
Edgar Krapp Edgar Krapp (born 3 June 1947 in Bamberg) is a German organist and music professor. Krapp is a member of the Board of the Neue Bachgesellschaft (New Bach Society) in Leipzig and the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts. Biography Krapp's first organ les ...
and
Ignace Michiels Ignace Michiels (born 7 December 1963) is a Belgian organist, choral conductor and organ teacher. He is internationally known as a concert organist. Career Michiels studied the organ, the piano and the harpsichord at the music academy of Bruges ...
.


Rendezvous

In 2010 a new series started, presenting artists before their concerts in a separate :
Christoph Eschenbach Christoph Eschenbach (; born 20 February 1940) is a German pianist and conductor. Early life Eschenbach was born on 20 February 1940 in Breslau, Germany (now Wrocław, Poland) as Christoph Ringmann. His parents were Margarethe (née Jaross), a ...
, the percussionist
Martin Grubinger Martin Grubinger (born 29 May 1983 in Salzburg) is an Austrian multi-percussionist. Life and career Born in Salzburg, Grubinger received his first instruction from his father, Martin Grubinger sen., a percussionist and percussion instructor a ...
and
Menahem Pressler Menahem Pressler (; 16 December 1923 – 6 May 2023) was a German-born Israeli-American pianist and academic teacher. He was known for his work with the Beaux Arts Trio that he co-founded in 1955, playing until its dissolution in 2008, in hund ...
. The guests in 2011 were
Andreas Scholl Andreas Scholl (born 10 November 1967) is a German countertenor, a male classical singer in the alto vocal range, specialising in Baroque music. Born into a family of singers, Scholl was enrolled at the age of seven into the Kiedricher Chorbube ...
and
Christian Gerhaher Christian Gerhaher (born 24 July 1969, in Straubing) is a German baritone and bass singer in opera and concert, particularly known as a Lieder singer. Career Christian Gerhaher studied with Paul Kuën and Raimund Grumbach at the Hochschule ...
.


Portraits of living composers

A special feature of the RMF is the annual , the presentation of a living composer in talk and music. It was initiated by
Walter Fink Walter Fink (16 August 1930 – 13 April 2018) was a German entrepreneur and a patron of contemporary classical music. He is known for being a founding member, executive committee member and sponsor of the Rheingau Musik Festival, where he initiat ...
and has been sponsored by him. From the beginning in 1990 the core of this portrait has been the invitation of a composer for an interview with chamber music. The modern ESWE Atrium was a fitting venue, but since a larger audience got interested the talks were moved to Schloss Johannisberg. In later years more concerts were added, sometimes in different locations, sometimes showing the works of the featured composer in relation to other music, concentrating on large scale works since 2005. Some composers have played or conducted themselves. Songs by Wolfgang Rihm on texts by Goethe were performed, juxtaposed with Goethe-settings by Schubert, by Christian Gerhaher and Gerold Huber on 3 August 2014, just before a performance at the
Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival () is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer, for five weeks starting in late July, in Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart's operas are a focus of ...
. They included the second performance of ''Harzreise''.


Composers in residence

* 2013
Fazıl Say Fazıl Say (; born 14 January 1970) is a Turkish pianist and composer who has worked internationally. Life and career Say was born in Ankara in 1970. His father, Ahmet Say, was an author and musicologist. His mother, Gürgün Say, was a pharm ...
* 2014
Jörg Widmann Jörg Widmann (; born 19 June 1973) is a German composer, conductor and clarinetist. In 2023, Widmann was the third most performed living contemporary composer in the world. Formerly a clarinet and composition professor at the University of ...
* 2015
Lera Auerbach Lera Auerbach (, born Valeria Lvovna Averbakh, ; October 21, 1973) is a Soviet-born Austrian-American classical composer, conductor and concert pianist. Jörg Widmann, Composer and Artist in Residence in 2014, appeared four times, as a clarinet soloist in two chamber music concerts playing the clarinet quintets by
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
and
Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, often set within studied ye ...
with the Arcanto Quartet and works by Stravinsky, Schumann and Bartók with his sister,
Carolin Widmann Carolin Widmann (; born 1976) is a German classical violinist. She focuses on contemporary music. Widmann plays a violin made in 1782 by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini. Career Born in Munich, Widmann studied with Igor Ozim in Cologne, Michèle ...
, and
Dénes Várjon Dénes Várjon (born 23 February 1968) is a Hungarian pianist known for his solo performances. He frequently performs as a chamber musician. Biography Born on 23 February 1968 in Budapest, Várjon studied since 1984 at the Liszt Ferenc Academy ...
, in a and a with students of the . In the workshop, he presented four of his chamber music works, playing in two of them, ''Fieberphantasie'' for string quartet, clarinet and piano, and a quintet for piano and winds, the scoring of Mozart's quintet K. 452. The other works were ''Air'' for horn solo, and the String Quartet No. 3 ''Jagdquartett''. The composer in residence of 2015 was Lera Auerbach, who performed her works as a pianist in several concerts, including a ''Werkstattkonzert'' (workshop concert) of chamber music with students of the Frankfurt Musikhochschule.


Artists in residence

* 2013
Sol Gabetta Sol Gabetta (born 18 April 1981) is an Argentine cellist. The daughter of Andrés Gabetta and Irène Timacheff-Gabetta, she has French and Russian ancestry. Her brother Andrés is a baroque violinist. Career Gabetta began to learn violin at t ...
* 2014
Frank Peter Zimmermann Frank Peter Zimmermann (born 27 February 1965) is a German violinist. Childhood He was born in Duisburg, West Germany, and started playing the violin when he was five years old, giving his first concert with orchestra at the age of 10. Since h ...
* 2016
Isabelle Faust Isabelle Faust (born 19 March 1972) is a German violinist who has worked internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. She has received multiple awards. Life and career Faust was born in Esslingen am Neckar, Baden-Württemberg, on 12 Mar ...
* 2017
Igor Levit Igor Levit (; born 10 March 1987) is a Russian-German pianist who focuses on the works of Bach, Beethoven, and Liszt. He is also a professor at the Musikhochschule Hannover. He lives in Berlin. Biography Born in Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod) to ...
* 2018
Annette Dasch Annette Dasch (born 24 March 1976) is a German soprano. She has performed in opera and concerts internationally, often portraying List of operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mozart characters such as Elvira in ''Don Giovanni'' at La Scala, Aminta ...
* 2019
Daniil Trifonov Daniil Olegovich Trifonov (; born 5 March 1991) is a Russian pianist and composer. Described by ''The Globe and Mail'' as "arguably today's leading classical virtuoso" and by ''The Times'' as "without question the most astounding pianist of our ...
* 2020 ''Cancellation Rheingau Musik Festival 2020'' * 2021
Khatia Buniatishvili Khatia Buniatishvili ( ka, ხატია ბუნიათიშვილი, ; born 21 June 1987) is a Georgian and French concert pianist. Early life and education Born in 1987 in Tbilisi, Georgia, Khatia Buniatishvili began studying pian ...
* 2023 Sarah Willis, Daniel Hope,
Sol Gabetta Sol Gabetta (born 18 April 1981) is an Argentine cellist. The daughter of Andrés Gabetta and Irène Timacheff-Gabetta, she has French and Russian ancestry. Her brother Andrés is a baroque violinist. Career Gabetta began to learn violin at t ...
(again),
Martin Grubinger Martin Grubinger (born 29 May 1983 in Salzburg) is an Austrian multi-percussionist. Life and career Born in Salzburg, Grubinger received his first instruction from his father, Martin Grubinger sen., a percussionist and percussion instructor a ...
In 2017, two pianists were artists in residence,
Igor Levit Igor Levit (; born 10 March 1987) is a Russian-German pianist who focuses on the works of Bach, Beethoven, and Liszt. He is also a professor at the Musikhochschule Hannover. He lives in Berlin. Biography Born in Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod) to ...
and
Michael Wollny Michael Wollny (born 25 May 1978) is a German jazz pianist and a professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Leipzig. He has played with international musicians including Joachim Kühn, Tamar Halperin, Marius Neset, Andreas Schaerer, Émil ...
, who both played several concerts. Wollny invited for a concert at the
Kurhaus Wiesbaden The Kurhaus ("cure house", ) is the spa house in Wiesbaden, the capital of Hesse, Germany. It serves as the city's convention centre, and the social center of the spa town. In addition to a large and a smaller hall, it houses a restaurant and the ...
the vocalist
Andreas Schaerer Andreas Schaerer (born 17 December 1976) is a Swiss jazz vocalist and composer, performing internationally, and an academic teacher. He founded the sextet 'Hildegard Lernt Fliegen' and collaborated with notable international musicians, including ...
, the saxophonist
Émile Parisien Émile Parisien (born 12 October 1982) is a French soprano and alto saxophonist, jazz musician, and composer. Career Émile Parisien entered the fifth class at the age of 11 in the first class of Marciac's ''College de jazz'', where he studie ...
and the accordionist
Vincent Peirani Vincent Peirani (born 24 April 1980) is a French jazz accordionist, vocalist and composer who has played internationally, collaborating with Denis Colin, François Jeanneau, Youn Sun Nah, Émile Parisien, Michel Portal, Louis Sclavis, and Mich ...
.


Closing choral concert

The festival usually concludes with a choral concert in Eberbach Abbey, including rarely performed works. In 2005
Frieder Bernius Frieder Bernius (born 22 June 1947) is a German conductor, the founder and director of the chamber choir Kammerchor Stuttgart, founded in 1968. They became leaders for historically informed performances. He founded the Stuttgart festival of Baroq ...
conducted Penderecki's ''
Polish Requiem ''Polish Requiem'' (; ), also ''A Polish Requiem'', is a large-scale requiem mass for soloists, mixed choir and orchestra by the Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki. The Lacrimosa, dedicated to the trade union leader Lech Wałęsa, was written f ...
'',
Helmuth Rilling Helmuth Rilling (born 29 May 1933) is a German choral conductor and an academic teacher. He is the founder of the Gächinger Kantorei (1954), the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart (1965), the Oregon Bach Festival (1970), the Internationale Bachakade ...
conducted ' in 2001 and works entitled ''Messiah'' by both
Sven-David Sandström Sven-David Sandström (30 October 1942 – 10 June 2019) was a Swedish classical composer of operas, oratorios, ballets, and choral works, as well as orchestral works. Life and career Sandström was born in Motala and studied art history and mus ...
and
Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, H ...
in 2009.


Artists

Artists have included
Anne-Sophie Mutter Anne-Sophie Mutter (born 29 June 1963) is a German violinist. Born and raised in Rheinfelden, Baden-Württemberg, Mutter started playing the violin at age five and continued studies in Germany and Switzerland. She was supported early in her car ...
,
Alfred Brendel Alfred Brendel (born 5 January 1931) is a Czech-born Austrian classical pianist, poet, author, composer, and lecturer who is noted for his performances of Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven. Biography Brendel was born in Wizemberk, Czechoslovakia ...
,
Mstislav Rostropovich Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich (27 March 192727 April 2007) was a Russian Cello, cellist and conducting, conductor. In addition to his interpretations and technique, he was well known for both inspiring and commissioning new works, which enl ...
, the
Alban Berg Quartet The Alban Berg Quartett (ABQ) was a string quartet founded in Vienna, named after the composer Alban Berg. Active from 1970 to 2008, the group included first violinist Günter Pichler and cellist Valentin Erben, while the second violinist was ...
,
Zubin Mehta Zubin Mehta (born 29 April 1936) is an Indian conductor of Western classical music. He is music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and conductor :wikt:emeritus, emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mehta's father ...
, and
Riccardo Muti Riccardo Muti (; born 28 July 1941) is an Italian conductor. He is current music director of the Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini. Muti has previously held posts at the Maggio Musicale in Florence, the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, the ...
.
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (; 28 May 1925 – 18 May 2012) was a German lyric baritone and conductor of classical music. One of the most famous Lieder (art song) performers of the post-war period, he is best known as a singer of Franz Schubert's ...
has appeared as a recitator, and
Giora Feidman Giora Feidman (; born 25 March 1936) is an Argentine-born Israeli clarinetist who specializes in klezmer music. Biography Giora Feidman was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where his Bessarabian Jewish parents immigrated to escape persecution. F ...
and
Bobby McFerrin Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter, and conductor (music), conductor. His Vocal pedagogy, vocal techniques include singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in Pitch (music), pitch—fo ...
included their audience in their performance. In 2001,
Dave Brubeck David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...
and his quartet appeared with the
Jacques Loussier Jacques Loussier (26 October 1934 – 5 March 2019) was a French pianist and composer. He arranged jazz interpretations of many of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, such as the '' Goldberg Variations''. The Jacques Loussier Trio, founded in 1 ...
Trio.
Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain (instrumental), Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba" ...
visited in 2009 and jammed with
Roy Haynes Roy Owen Haynes (March 13, 1925 – November 12, 2024) was an American jazz drummer. In the 1950s, he was given the nickname "Snap Crackle" for his distinctive snare drum sound and musical vocabulary. He is among the most recorded drummers in ja ...
, whose band had opened the concert. Other artists of 2009 included
Colin Davis Sir Colin Rex Davis (25 September 1927 – 14 April 2013) was an English conductor, known for his association with the London Symphony Orchestra, having first conducted it in 1959. His repertoire was broad, but among the composers with whom ...
,
Ludwig Güttler Ludwig Güttler (born 13 June 1943) is an internationally known German virtuoso on the Baroque trumpet, the piccolo trumpet and the corno da caccia. As a conductor, he founded several ensembles including the chamber orchestra Virtuosi Saxoniae. Hi ...
,
Martha Argerich Martha Argerich (; ; born 5 June 1941) is an Argentine classical concert pianist. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argerich gave her debut concert at the age of eight before receiving further piano training in Europe. At an early age, she won sev ...
,
Frank Peter Zimmermann Frank Peter Zimmermann (born 27 February 1965) is a German violinist. Childhood He was born in Duisburg, West Germany, and started playing the violin when he was five years old, giving his first concert with orchestra at the age of 10. Since h ...
,
Anne Sofie von Otter Anne Sofie von Otter (born 9 May 1955) is a Swedish mezzo-soprano. Her repertoire encompasses lieder, operas, oratorios and also rock and pop songs. Early life Von Otter was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Her father was Göran von Otter, a Swedi ...
and
Olga Scheps Olga Scheps (born 4 January 1986) is a German pianist, who currently resides in Cologne, Germany. Biography 1986–2001: Early life and career beginnings Scheps was born on 4 January 1986, in Moscow and came to Germany at the age of six. Infl ...
.
Lorin Maazel Lorin Varencove Maazel (; March 6, 1930 – July 13, 2014) was an American conductor, violinist and composer. He began conducting at the age of eight and by 1953 had decided to pursue a career in music. He had established a reputation in t ...
conducted the
Vienna Philharmonic Vienna Philharmonic (VPO; ) is an orchestra that was founded in 1842 and is considered to be one of the finest in the world. The Vienna Philharmonic is based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. Its members are selected from the orchestra of ...
in Bruckner's '' Symphony No. 3'' and Stravinsky's . In 2011, the
Thomanerchor The Thomanerchor (English: St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig) is a boys' choir in Leipzig, Germany. The choir was founded in 1212. The choir comprises about 90 boys from 9 to 18 years of age. The members, called ''Thomaner'', reside in a boarding scho ...
sang a concert of mostly
motet In Western classical music, a motet is mainly a vocal musical composition, of highly diverse form and style, from high medieval music to the present. The motet was one of the preeminent polyphonic forms of Renaissance music. According to the Eng ...
s, including Bach's in Eberbach Abbey, part of the choir's tour in its 800th year.
Andreas Scholl Andreas Scholl (born 10 November 1967) is a German countertenor, a male classical singer in the alto vocal range, specialising in Baroque music. Born into a family of singers, Scholl was enrolled at the age of seven into the Kiedricher Chorbube ...
, born in the Rheingau, made his debut at the festival in three events, an interview, a trip () to three churches with different concert programs, and an opera recital with his sister Elisabeth in Eberbach Abbey. The
Lautten Compagney lautten compagney BERLIN is a German instrumental ensemble based in Berlin. Founded in 1984 by Hans-Werner Apel and Wolfgang Katschner, now the principal conductor, it specializes in early music and Baroque music, notably the operas of Handel. ...
performed in concert Handel's opera ''
Rinaldo Rinaldo may refer to: *Renaud de Montauban (also spelled Renaut, Renault, Italian: Rinaldo di Montalbano, Dutch: Reinout van Montalbaen, German: Reinhold von Montalban), a legendary knight in the medieval Matter of France * Rinaldo (''Jerusalem Lib ...
'', 300 years after its premiere. The ensemble
Le Concert Spirituel Le Concert Spirituel is a French ensemble specialising in works of baroque music, played on period instruments. Founded by Hervé Niquet in 1987, it is named after the 18th-century concert series Concert Spirituel. The group performs internation ...
, conducted by
Hervé Niquet Hervé Niquet (born 28 October 1957) is a French conductor, harpsichordist, tenor, and the director of Le Concert Spirituel, specializing in French Baroque music. Biography Born on 28 October 1957, Hervé Niquet was raised at Abbeville in ...
, performed music for up to 40 voices by
Alessandro Striggio Alessandro Striggio (c. 1536/1537 – 29 February 1592) was an Italian composer, instrumentalist and diplomat of the Renaissance. He composed numerous madrigals as well as dramatic music, and by combining the two, became the inventor of madrigal ...
, together with music of
Orazio Benevoli Orazio Benevoli or Benevolo (19 April 1605 – 17 June 1672) was a Franco-Italian composer of large scaled polychoral sacred choral works (e.g., one work featured forty-eight vocal and instrumental lines) of the middle Baroque era. He was born ...
,
Francesco Corteccia Francesco Corteccia, ''Hinnarium'', Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana Francesco Corteccia (July 27, 1502 – June 7, 1571) was an Italian composer, organist, and teacher of the Renaissance. Not only was he one of the best known of the early compo ...
,
Stefano Fabbri Stefano is the Italian form of the masculine given name Στέφανος (Stefanos, Stephen). The name is of Greek origin, Στέφανος, meaning a person who made a significant achievement and has been crowned. In Orthodox Christianity the ach ...
and
Claudio Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string instrument, string player. A composer of both Secular music, secular and Church music, sacred music, and a pioneer ...
. Other artists of 2011 included
Freddy Cole Lionel Frederick Cole (October 15, 1931 – June 27, 2020) was an American jazz singer and pianist whose recording career spanned almost 70 years. He was the brother of musicians Nat King Cole, Eddie Cole, and Ike Cole, father of Lionel Cole, ...
,
Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma (born October 7, 1955) is a French-born American Cello, cellist. Born to Chinese people, Chinese parents in Paris, he was regarded as a child prodigy there and began to study the cello with his father at age four. At the age of seven, ...
,
Mitsuko Uchida is a Japanese-English classical pianist and conductor. Born in Japan and naturalised in England, she is particularly notable for her interpretations of Mozart and Schubert. She has appeared with many notable orchestras, recorded a wide repert ...
,
Waltraud Meier Waltraud Meier (born 9 January 1956) is a German retired dramatic soprano and mezzo-soprano singer. She is particularly known for her Wagnerian roles as Kundry, Isolde, Ortrud, Venus, Fricka, and Sieglinde, but has also had success in the Fr ...
,
Sabine Meyer Sabine Meyer (born 30 March 1959) is a German classical clarinetist. Biography Born in Crailsheim, Baden-Württemberg, Meyer began playing the clarinet at an early age. Her first teacher was her father, also a clarinetist. She studied with Otto ...
,
Heinrich Schiff Heinrich Schiff (; 18 November 1951 – 23 December 2016) was an Austrian cellist and conductor. Early life Heinrich Schiff was born on 18 November 1951 in Gmunden, Austria. His parents, Helga (née Riemann) and Helmut Schiff, were composers. H ...
,
Frank Peter Zimmermann Frank Peter Zimmermann (born 27 February 1965) is a German violinist. Childhood He was born in Duisburg, West Germany, and started playing the violin when he was five years old, giving his first concert with orchestra at the age of 10. Since h ...
,
Arabella Steinbacher Arabella Miho Steinbacher (born 14 November 1981) is a German classical violinist. Biography Steinbacher was born in Munich to a Japanese mother and a German father. When she was three, her mother read that a German violin teacher had recentl ...
,
Daniel Müller-Schott Daniel Müller-Schott (born 2 November 1976) is a German cellist. Born in Munich, he studied with Walter Nothas, Austrian cellist Heinrich Schiff and British cellist Steven Isserlis. Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter personally coached him in her ...
,
Xavier de Maistre Xavier de Maistre (; 10 October 1763 – 12 June 1852) of Savoy (then part of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia) was a French military man and author. The younger brother of Joseph de Maistre, a noted philosopher and counter-revolutionary, X ...
,
Omara Portuondo Omara Portuondo Peláez (born 29 October 1930) is a Cuban singer and dancer. A founding member of the popular vocal group Cuarteto d'Aida, Portuondo has collaborated with many important Cuban musicians during her long career, including Julio G ...
,
Dianne Reeves Dianne Elizabeth Reeves (born October 23, 1956) is an American jazz singer, who has won five Grammy Awards for her albums. Early life and education Dianne Reeves was born in Detroit, Michigan, into a musical family. Her father sang, her mothe ...
, Nils Landgren,
The King's Singers The King's Singers are a British a cappella vocal ensemble founded in 1968. They are named after King's College in Cambridge, England, where the group was formed by six choral scholars. In the United Kingdom, their popularity peaked in the ...
, the
Münchner Philharmoniker The Munich Philharmonic () is a German symphony orchestra located in the city of Munich. It is one of Munich's four principal orchestras, along with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Radio Orchestra and the Bavarian State Orche ...
with
Olli Mustonen Olli Mustonen (born 7 June 1967) is a Finnish pianist, conductor, and composer. Biography Mustonen studied harpsichord and piano from the age of five with Ralf Gothóni and then Eero Heinonen. He studied composition with Einojuhani Rautavaar ...
and
Herbert Blomstedt Herbert Thorson Blomstedt (; born 11 July 1927) is a Swedish conductor of classical music. At the age of 97 he continues to conduct concerts in Europe and the United States. Biography Herbert Blomstedt was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, t ...
, and the
Windsbacher Knabenchor The Windsbacher Knabenchor (Windsbach Boys' Choir) is a German boys' choir in Windsbach, Germany, founded in 1946 and performing internationally. History The choir was founded in 1946 by Hans Thamm and was conducted by Karl-Friedrich Beringer fro ...
, among others. In 2013,
Andris Nelsons Andris Nelsons (born 18 November 1978) is a Latvian conductor. He is currently music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and ''Gewandhauskapellmeister'' of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. He was previously music director of the Lat ...
conducted the
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is a British orchestra based in Birmingham, England. It is the resident orchestra at Symphony Hall, Birmingham in Birmingham, which has been its principal performance venue since 1991. Its adminis ...
with soloist
Sol Gabetta Sol Gabetta (born 18 April 1981) is an Argentine cellist. The daughter of Andrés Gabetta and Irène Timacheff-Gabetta, she has French and Russian ancestry. Her brother Andrés is a baroque violinist. Career Gabetta began to learn violin at t ...
in a program including Elgar's
Cello Concerto A cello concerto (sometimes called a violoncello concerto) is a concerto for solo cello with orchestra or, very occasionally, smaller groups of instruments. These pieces have been written since the Baroque era if not earlier. However, unlike instru ...
and Dvořák's Eighth Symphony. In 2014,
Maurizio Pollini Maurizio Pollini (5 January 1942 – 23 March 2024) was an Italian pianist and conductor. He was known for performances of Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, and the Second Viennese School, among others. He championed works by contemporary composers ...
made his debut at the festival, playing in the
Kurhaus Wiesbaden The Kurhaus ("cure house", ) is the spa house in Wiesbaden, the capital of Hesse, Germany. It serves as the city's convention centre, and the social center of the spa town. In addition to a large and a smaller hall, it houses a restaurant and the ...
Chopin's '' Preludes'' (Op. 28) and Book 1 of Debussy's '' Preludes''.


25 years in 2012

On 17 June 2012, the 25th season of the festival was celebrated at the , with speeches by
Volker Bouffier Volker Bouffier (born 18 December 1951) is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as Minister President of the German state of Hessen from 31 August 2010 to 31 May 2022. From 1 November 2014 until 31 October 201 ...
,
Roland Koch Roland Koch (born 24 March 1958) is a German jurist and former conservative politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). He was the 7th Minister President of Hesse from 7 April 1999, immediately becoming the 53rd President of the Bund ...
and
Enoch zu Guttenberg Georg Enoch Robert Prosper Philipp Franz Karl Theodor Maria Heinrich Johannes Luitpold Hartmann Gundeloh Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg (29 July 1946 – 15 June 2018) was a German conductor. He also owned the large winery estate Weingut Reichs ...
. A concert was played by the and violinist
Frank Peter Zimmermann Frank Peter Zimmermann (born 27 February 1965) is a German violinist. Childhood He was born in Duisburg, West Germany, and started playing the violin when he was five years old, giving his first concert with orchestra at the age of 10. Since h ...
, conducted by
Paavo Järvi Paavo Järvi (; born 30 December 1962) is an Estonian conductor. He has been chief conductor of Zurich's Tonhalle since 2020. Early life Järvi was born in Tallinn, Estonia (then occupied by the Soviet Union), to Liilia Järvi and the Estoni ...
. The 25th season of the festival is celebrated by concerts of "" ("Companions along the way"), artists who have appeared regularly from the beginning, such as the , conducted by
Ludwig Güttler Ludwig Güttler (born 13 June 1943) is an internationally known German virtuoso on the Baroque trumpet, the piccolo trumpet and the corno da caccia. As a conductor, he founded several ensembles including the chamber orchestra Virtuosi Saxoniae. Hi ...
, the , conducted by
Frieder Bernius Frieder Bernius (born 22 June 1947) is a German conductor, the founder and director of the chamber choir Kammerchor Stuttgart, founded in 1968. They became leaders for historically informed performances. He founded the Stuttgart festival of Baroq ...
who had performed the very first concert of the festival, the piano duo Anthony & Joseph Paratore, the boys choir
Windsbacher Knabenchor The Windsbacher Knabenchor (Windsbach Boys' Choir) is a German boys' choir in Windsbach, Germany, founded in 1946 and performing internationally. History The choir was founded in 1946 by Hans Thamm and was conducted by Karl-Friedrich Beringer fro ...
, percussionist Babette Haag, pianists Ewa Kupiec,
Gerhard Oppitz Gerhard Oppitz (born 5 February 1953, Frauenau) is a Germans, German classical music, classical pianist. He studied with Paul Buck, Hugo Steurer and Wilhelm Kempff. In 1981 he was appointed professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Münc ...
,
Justus Frantz Justus Frantz (born 18 May 1944 in Inowrocław, Poland, then Hohensalza, Germany) is a German pianist, conductor, and television personality. Life Frantz began playing piano at the age of ten and later studied with Eliza Hansen and Wilhelm K ...
, Tzimon Barto,
Christoph Eschenbach Christoph Eschenbach (; born 20 February 1940) is a German pianist and conductor. Early life Eschenbach was born on 20 February 1940 in Breslau, Germany (now Wrocław, Poland) as Christoph Ringmann. His parents were Margarethe (née Jaross), a ...
and
Oleg Maisenberg Oleg Maisenberg (born 29 April 1945) is a Soviet-Austrian pianist and teacher. Early life and career Born to a Jewish family in Odessa, Oleg Maisenberg received his first piano lessons from his mother at the age of five. He completed his studie ...
, actor
Walter Renneisen Walter Renneisen (born 3 March 1940) is a German actor. After engagements at the Schauspiel Bochum, Theater Dortmund and Staatstheater Darmstadt, he has worked freelance. He founded a touring theatre company in 1977. Career Born in Mainz, Renne ...
, the
Gächinger Kantorei Gächinger Kantorei (Gächingen Chorale), which uses the old German spelling of its name, the Gaechinger Cantorey, is an internationally known German mixed choir, founded by Helmuth Rilling in 1954 in Gächingen (part of St. Johann close to Reutl ...
and
Bach-Collegium Stuttgart Bach-Collegium Stuttgart is an internationally known German instrumental ensemble, founded by Helmuth Rilling in 1965 to accompany the Gächinger Kantorei in choral music with orchestra. Its members are mostly orchestra musicians from Germany and ...
with
Helmuth Rilling Helmuth Rilling (born 29 May 1933) is a German choral conductor and an academic teacher. He is the founder of the Gächinger Kantorei (1954), the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart (1965), the Oregon Bach Festival (1970), the Internationale Bachakade ...
, and Enoch zu Guttenberg with his ensembles. Other themes of the anniversary season were "" (Festive Music), "" (Violin Circle) and "" (Organ Dimensions). The was a sequence of works by
Alessandro Melani Alessandro Melani (4 February 1639 – 3 October 1703) was an Italian composer and the brother of composer Jacopo Melani, and castrato singer Atto Melani. Along with Bernardo Pasquini and Alessandro Scarlatti, he was one of the leading composers a ...
, performed by and the , conducted by
Hermann Max Hermann Max (born 1941 in Goslar) is a German choral conductor. In 1977, he founded the Jugendkantorei Dormagen, which in 1985 became the basis of the Rheinische Kantorei and Das Kleine Konzert. In 1992, he founded the Knechtsteden Early Music ...
, with soloists
Veronika Winter Veronika Winter (born February 2, 1965, in Limburg an der Lahn) is a German soprano. She is particularly noted for her recordings of Baroque music. She studied musicology and Italian at the University of Erlangen A university () is an institut ...
,
Franz Vitzthum Franz Vitzthum is a German countertenor, a male classical singer in the alto vocal range, specialising in Baroque music. He was trained as a boy singer with the Regensburger Domspatzen and studied with Kai Wessel at the Musikhochschule Köln. He ...
,
Hans Jörg Mammel Hans Jörg Mammel (born in Stuttgart) is a German tenor in opera and concert. Mammel received his first musical training as a member of the boys' choir Stuttgarter Hymnus-Chorknaben. After aborting legal studies, he studied at the Hochschule ...
and
Markus Flaig Markus Flaig (born 1971) is a German bass-baritone who has focused on concerts and recordings of sacred music. Career Markus Flaig was born in Horb am Neckar. He studied sacred music and school music, then voice with Beata Heuer-Christen in Fre ...
, among others. The music was juxtaposed to Monteverdi's ', with James Gilchrist.


Rheingau Musik Preis

In 1994 the festival initiated the that has been awarded annually for musical achievements, to * 1994
Volker David Kirchner Volker David Kirchner (25 June 1942 – 4 February 2020) was a German composer and violist. After studies of violin and composition at the Peter Cornelius Conservatory, the Hochschule für Musik Köln and the Hochschule für Musik Detmold, he ...
, composer * 1995 Alexander L. Ringer, musicologist * 1996
Gidon Kremer Gidon Kremer (; born 27 February 1947) is a Latvian classical violinist, artistic director, and founder of Kremerata Baltica. Life and career Gidon Kremer was born in Riga. His father was Jewish and had survived the Holocaust. His mother had ...
, violinist * 1997
ensemble recherche Ensemble Recherche is a German contemporary classical music ensemble with nine fixed members. Founded in Freiburg im Breisgau in 1985, the ensemble has premiered more than 1,000 works, dozens of which have since come to be recognised as masterwo ...
, chamber ensemble for contemporary music * 1998
Toshio Hosokawa is a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music. He studied in Germany but returned to Japan, finding a personal style inspired by classical Japanese music and culture. He has composed operas, the oratorio '' Voiceless Voice in Hiroshima' ...
, composer * 1999
Tabea Zimmermann Tabea Zimmermann (born 8 October 1966) is a German violist who has performed internationally, both as a soloist and a chamber musician. She has been artist in residence of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Bavarian ...
, viola player * 2000
Helmuth Rilling Helmuth Rilling (born 29 May 1933) is a German choral conductor and an academic teacher. He is the founder of the Gächinger Kantorei (1954), the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart (1965), the Oregon Bach Festival (1970), the Internationale Bachakade ...
, chorale conductor * 2001
Artemis Quartet The Artemis Quartet is a German string quartet, founded in 1989 in Lübeck, and now based in Berlin. The quartet is named for the Greek goddess of hunting and the wilderness. History The first members of the Artemis Quartet, Wilken Ranck, Isa ...
, string quartet * 2002 , actor, cabarettist, comedian * 2003
Stefan-Peter Greiner Stefan-Peter Greiner (born 1966 in Stuttgart) is a German luthier residing in Zurich. He also builds violins. Career Greiner built his first violin at the age of fourteen. He completed his training in Bonn. In 2013 he moved his workshop from ...
, violin maker * 2004 , Society for music in medicine * 2005
Niki Reiser Niki Reiser (born 12 May 1958) is a Swiss film score composer and flautist. He is considered one of the most outstanding film composers of the German-speaking countries, winning the German Film Award five times. His debut was in 1986 the score for ...
, composer of film music * 2006
Hugh Wolff Hugh MacPherson Wolff (born October 21, 1953, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France) is an American conductor. He was chief conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony. Biography Born in France while his father was serving in the U.S. Foreign Service, Wolff s ...
, conductor * 2007
Windsbacher Knabenchor The Windsbacher Knabenchor (Windsbach Boys' Choir) is a German boys' choir in Windsbach, Germany, founded in 1946 and performing internationally. History The choir was founded in 1946 by Hans Thamm and was conducted by Karl-Friedrich Beringer fro ...
, boys choir * 2008
Heinz Holliger Heinz Robert Holliger (born 21 May 1939) is a Swiss composer, virtuoso oboist, and conductor. Celebrated for his versatility and technique, Holliger is among the most prominent oboists of his generation. His repertoire includes Baroque and Clas ...
, oboist and composer * 2009
Christian Gerhaher Christian Gerhaher (born 24 July 1969, in Straubing) is a German baritone and bass singer in opera and concert, particularly known as a Lieder singer. Career Christian Gerhaher studied with Paul Kuën and Raimund Grumbach at the Hochschule ...
, baritone * 2010 , opera company * 2011 , musical comedians * 2012
Lautten Compagney lautten compagney BERLIN is a German instrumental ensemble based in Berlin. Founded in 1984 by Hans-Werner Apel and Wolfgang Katschner, now the principal conductor, it specializes in early music and Baroque music, notably the operas of Handel. ...
, ensemble * 2013
Fazıl Say Fazıl Say (; born 14 January 1970) is a Turkish pianist and composer who has worked internationally. Life and career Say was born in Ankara in 1970. His father, Ahmet Say, was an author and musicologist. His mother, Gürgün Say, was a pharm ...
, pianist and composer * 2014
Christoph Eschenbach Christoph Eschenbach (; born 20 February 1940) is a German pianist and conductor. Early life Eschenbach was born on 20 February 1940 in Breslau, Germany (now Wrocław, Poland) as Christoph Ringmann. His parents were Margarethe (née Jaross), a ...
, conductor * 2015
Andreas Scholl Andreas Scholl (born 10 November 1967) is a German countertenor, a male classical singer in the alto vocal range, specialising in Baroque music. Born into a family of singers, Scholl was enrolled at the age of seven into the Kiedricher Chorbube ...
, singer * 2016
Walter Renneisen Walter Renneisen (born 3 March 1940) is a German actor. After engagements at the Schauspiel Bochum, Theater Dortmund and Staatstheater Darmstadt, he has worked freelance. He founded a touring theatre company in 1977. Career Born in Mainz, Renne ...
, actor * 2017
Enoch zu Guttenberg Georg Enoch Robert Prosper Philipp Franz Karl Theodor Maria Heinrich Johannes Luitpold Hartmann Gundeloh Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg (29 July 1946 – 15 June 2018) was a German conductor. He also owned the large winery estate Weingut Reichs ...
, conductor, and Chorgemeinschaft Neubeuern, choir * 2018
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Yannick Nézet-Séguin, CC (; born Yannick Séguin;David Patrick Stearns, "Nezet-Seguin signs Philadelphia Orchestra contract". ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', 19 June 2010. 6 March 1975) is a Canadian conductor and pianist. He is the music dir ...
, conductor * 2019
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen (''unofficial English translation'': Bremen German Chamber Philharmonic) is a chamber orchestra based in Bremen (Germany), with place of residence in the historical building Stadtwaage. History A group of ...
,
Paavo Järvi Paavo Järvi (; born 30 December 1962) is an Estonian conductor. He has been chief conductor of Zurich's Tonhalle since 2020. Early life Järvi was born in Tallinn, Estonia (then occupied by the Soviet Union), to Liilia Järvi and the Estoni ...
* 2020
Daniel Barenboim Daniel Moses Barenboim (; born 15 November 1942) is an Argentines, Argentine-Israeli classical pianist and conductor based in Berlin, who also has Spain, Spanish and State of Palestine, Palestinian citizenship. From 1992 until January 2023, Bare ...
and
West–Eastern Divan Orchestra The West–Eastern Divan Orchestra is based in Seville, Spain, and consists of musicians from countries across the Spanish world and the Middle East—of Egyptian, Iranian, Israeli, Jordanian, Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian, and Hispanic bac ...
* 2021 Nils Landgren * 2022
Herbert Blomstedt Herbert Thorson Blomstedt (; born 11 July 1927) is a Swedish conductor of classical music. At the age of 97 he continues to conduct concerts in Europe and the United States. Biography Herbert Blomstedt was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, t ...
* 2023
Tenebrae Tenebrae (—Latin for 'darkness') is a religious service of Western Christianity held during the three days preceding Easter Day, and characterized by a gradual extinguishing of candles, and the ''strepitus'' or "loud noise" in the total darkn ...
* 2024
Julia Fischer Julia Fischer (born 15 June 1983) is a German classical violinist, violist, and pianist. * 2025
Thomas Quasthoff Thomas Quasthoff (, born 9 November 1959) is a German bass-baritone. Quasthoff has a range of musical interest from Bach cantatas, to lieder, and solo jazz improvisations. Born with severe birth defects caused by thalidomide, Quasthoff is , an ...


Broadcast and recordings

Many concerts have been conducted in collaboration with broadcasting stations, namely
Hessischer Rundfunk (; "Hesse Broadcasting"), shortened to HR (; stylized as hr), is the German state of Hesse's public broadcasting corporation. Headquartered in Frankfurt, it is a member of the national consortium of German public broadcasting corporations, A ...
. Selected events were recorded, including: * Beethoven: '' Sonate f-moll'', Schumann: ''
Kreisleriana ''Kreisleriana'', Op. 16, is a composition in eight movements by Robert Schumann for solo piano, subtitled ''.'' Schumann claimed to have written it in only four days in April 1838 and a revised version appeared in 1850. The work was dedicated ...
'',
Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of ...
: Prèludes et Etudes,
Andreas Haefliger Andreas Haefliger (born September 11, 1962) is a German-born Swiss pianist. Early life and education Born in Berlin on September 11, 1962, Haefliger is the youngest son of famed tenor Ernst Haefliger and interior designer and architect Anna Gol ...
, 1994 * Canzoni & Concerti of
Girolamo Frescobaldi Girolamo Alessandro Frescobaldi (; also Gerolamo, Girolimo, and Geronimo Alissandro; September 15831 March 1643) was an Italian composer and virtuoso keyboard player. Born in the Duchy of Ferrara, he was one of the most important composers of ke ...
,
Claudio Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string instrument, string player. A composer of both Secular music, secular and Church music, sacred music, and a pioneer ...
,
Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist, impresario of Baroque music and Roman Catholic priest. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lif ...
,
George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, H ...
Guillemette Laurens Guillemette Laurens (born 6 November 1957 in Fontainebleau, France) is a French operatic mezzo-soprano. Guillemette trained at the Academy of Toulouse and debuted as Baba in ''The Rake's Progress'' at Salle Favart. She took part in the premiere ...
,
Il Giardino Armonico Il Giardino Armonico ("The Garden of Harmony") is an Italian ensemble well noted for its practice of Historically informed performance, Historically Informed Performance and founded in Milan in 1985 by Luca Pianca and Giovanni Antonini, primarily ...
, 1995 * Tschaikovsky: ''
Manfred Symphony ''Manfred'' is a ''"Symphony in Four Scenes"'' in B minor by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, his Opus 58, but unnumbered. It was written between May and September 1885 to a program based upon the 1817 poem of the same name by Byron, coming after the ...
'',
Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra The Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra (, ''Symphonic Orchestra of the Saint Petersburg Philharmonia'') is a symphony orchestra based in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Their home venue is the Saint Petersburg Philharmonia. History The roots of th ...
, conductor
Yuri Temirkanov Yuri Khatuevich Temirkanov (; ; 10 December 1938 – 2 November 2023) was a Soviet and Russian conductor, named a People's Artist of the USSR. Early life Born in 1938 in the North Caucasus city of Nalchik, Temirkanov attended the Saint Petersburg ...
, live in Kurhaus Wiesbaden, 1997 * Dvořák: ''
Biblical Songs ''Biblical Songs'' () is a song cycle which consists of musical settings by Czech composer Antonín Dvořák of ten texts, selected by him, from the Book of Psalms. It was originally composed for low voice and piano (1894, Op.99, B. 185). ...
'' op. 99,
New World Symphony New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 19 ...
Liliana Bizineche-Eisinger,
Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester The WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne (German: WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln) is a German radio orchestra based in Cologne, where the orchestra performs at two main concert halls: the WDR Funkhaus Wallrafplatz and the Kölner Philharmonie. History ...
, conductor:
Gerd Albrecht Gerd Albrecht (19 July 1935 – 2 February 2014) was a German conductor. Biography Albrecht was born in Essen, the son of the musicologist Hans Albrecht (1902–1961). He studied music in Kiel and in Hamburg, where his teachers included Wilhel ...
, live in Kurhaus Wiesbaden, 1997 * Haydn: '' The Seasons'', Anna Korondi,
Markus Schäfer Markus Schäfer (born 13 June 1961) is a German lyric tenor, a soloist in opera, oratorio, and ''Lied''. He has performed with major opera houses and with the ensemble La Petite Bande. He has been a professor of voice at the Musikhochschule Hann ...
, Dietrich Henschel, Chorgemeinschaft Neubeuern; Orchester der KlangVerwaltung München,
Enoch zu Guttenberg Georg Enoch Robert Prosper Philipp Franz Karl Theodor Maria Heinrich Johannes Luitpold Hartmann Gundeloh Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg (29 July 1946 – 15 June 2018) was a German conductor. He also owned the large winery estate Weingut Reichs ...
, Eberbach Abbey, 30 July 1998 *
Charles Gounod Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...
: ''Mors et Vita'', Barbara Frittoli, Lidia Tirendi,
Zoran Todorovich Zoran Todorovich () is a German opera singer, director and costume designer of Serbian origin. He is lirico-spinto tenor, and started his career in Belgrade, Serbia, where he was born. Biography Zoran Todorovich was born in Belgrade in 1961, S ...
, Davide Damiani, Budapest Radio Choir,
hr-Sinfonieorchester The Frankfurt Radio Symphony () is the radio orchestra of Hessischer Rundfunk, the public broadcasting network of the German state of Hesse. Venues are Alte Oper and hr-Sendesaal. Music director is the French conductor Alain Altinoglu. Chief ...
,
Marcello Viotti Marcello Viotti (29 June 195416 February 2005) was a Swiss classical music conductor, best known for opera. Viotti was born in Vallorbe, in the French-speaking region of Switzerland, to Italian parents. He studied cello, piano and singing at th ...
, 4 July 1999, Eberbach Abbey * Carl Orff –
Annette Dasch Annette Dasch (born 24 March 1976) is a German soprano. She has performed in opera and concerts internationally, often portraying List of operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mozart characters such as Elvira in ''Don Giovanni'' at La Scala, Aminta ...
, Gert Henning-Jensen, Zeljko Lucic,
Orfeón Donostiarra The Orfeón Donostiarra is a concert choir based in San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain. History The choir was formed in 1897 in San Sebastián. The first music directors were Miguel Oñate, Luzuriaga and Esnaola. In June 1906 the group was a ...
,
hr-Sinfonieorchester The Frankfurt Radio Symphony () is the radio orchestra of Hessischer Rundfunk, the public broadcasting network of the German state of Hesse. Venues are Alte Oper and hr-Sendesaal. Music director is the French conductor Alain Altinoglu. Chief ...
, conductor:
Hugh Wolff Hugh MacPherson Wolff (born October 21, 1953, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France) is an American conductor. He was chief conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony. Biography Born in France while his father was serving in the U.S. Foreign Service, Wolff s ...
, live in Eberbach Abbey, 2002 * Mahler: '' Symphony No. 2'', Brigitte Geller,
Iris Vermillion Iris Vermillion (born 1960) is a German operatic mezzo-soprano. A member of the Deutsche Oper Berlin from 1988, she has enjoyed an international career, appearing in Amsterdam with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and at the Salzburg Festival, among others. ...
, Festival Chor und Orchester Stuttgart,
Helmuth Rilling Helmuth Rilling (born 29 May 1933) is a German choral conductor and an academic teacher. He is the founder of the Gächinger Kantorei (1954), the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart (1965), the Oregon Bach Festival (1970), the Internationale Bachakade ...
, 30 August 2003, Eberbach Abbey * Handel: ''
Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...
'', Anna Korondi,
Annette Markert Annette Markert (born in Kaltensundheim, Thuringia) is a German classical mezzo-soprano and contralalto. Career Annette Markert studied voice at the Leipzig School of Music and was engaged at the Halle Opera House in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt from ...
,
Werner Güra Werner Güra (born 1964) is a German classical tenor in opera, concert and Lied, also an academic teacher in Zurich. Career Güra was born in Munich. He studied at the Mozarteum University of Salzburg. He continued his studies with Kurt Widm ...
, Sebastian Noack, Cappella Istropolitana, Choir of the
Bamberger Symphony The Bamberg Symphony (German: Bamberger Symphoniker – Bayerische Staatsphilharmonie) is a renowned German orchestra top-class orchestra that has been residing in Bamberg since its foundation in 1946 and travels the world as a touring orchestra. ...
,
Rolf Beck Rolf Beck (15 January 1945) is a German conductor, especially a choral conductor. He was, from 1999 to 2013, Intendant of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival. He founded several choirs and the (International Choral Academy Lübeck). Career ...
, Eberbach Abbey, 21 August 2004 * Mozart: ''
Great Mass in C minor ''Great Mass in C minor'' (), K. 427/417a, is the common name of the musical setting of the mass by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which is considered one of his greatest works. He composed it in Vienna in 1782 and 1783, aged 24-25, after his marriag ...
'', Version of
Robert D. Levin Robert David Levin (born October 13, 1947) is an American classical pianist, musicology, musicologist, and composer. He was a professor of music at Harvard University from 1994 to 2014 and the artistic director of the Sarasota Music Festival from ...
,
Diana Damrau Diana Damrau (; born 31 May 1971) is a German soprano who has achieved international fame for her performances, primarily in opera, but also in concert and lieder. She has been successful in coloratura soprano roles since her early career, and gr ...
,
Juliane Banse Juliane Banse (born 10 July 1969 in Tettnang, West Germany) is a German opera soprano and noted singer. Banse received her vocal training at the Zürich Opera, and with Brigitte Fassbaender in Munich. She won first prize in the singing competi ...
, Lothar Odinius,
Markus Marquardt Markus Marquardt (born 1970) is a German bass-baritone.Markus Marquardt
Gächinger Kantorei Gächinger Kantorei (Gächingen Chorale), which uses the old German spelling of its name, the Gaechinger Cantorey, is an internationally known German mixed choir, founded by Helmuth Rilling in 1954 in Gächingen (part of St. Johann close to Reutl ...
,
Bach-Collegium Stuttgart Bach-Collegium Stuttgart is an internationally known German instrumental ensemble, founded by Helmuth Rilling in 1965 to accompany the Gächinger Kantorei in choral music with orchestra. Its members are mostly orchestra musicians from Germany and ...
, Helmuth Rilling, 2006 *
Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...
: '' Symphony No. 3'',
Waltraud Meier Waltraud Meier (born 9 January 1956) is a German retired dramatic soprano and mezzo-soprano singer. She is particularly known for her Wagnerian roles as Kundry, Isolde, Ortrud, Venus, Fricka, and Sieglinde, but has also had success in the Fr ...
,
Limburger Domsingknaben Limburger Domsingknaben (; "Limburg Cathedral singing boys") is the name of the boys' choir at the Limburg Cathedral in Limburg, Hesse, Germany. The choir was founded in 1967 by the then bishop of Limburg, Wilhelm Kempf. Its conductors were Hans ...
,
MDR Rundfunkchor MDR Rundfunkchor is the radio choir of the German broadcaster Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR), based in Leipzig, Saxony. Dating back to 1924, the choir became the radio choir of a predecessor of the MDR in 1946, then called Kammerchor des Senders ...
,
hr-Sinfonieorchester The Frankfurt Radio Symphony () is the radio orchestra of Hessischer Rundfunk, the public broadcasting network of the German state of Hesse. Venues are Alte Oper and hr-Sendesaal. Music director is the French conductor Alain Altinoglu. Chief ...
,
Paavo Järvi Paavo Järvi (; born 30 December 1962) is an Estonian conductor. He has been chief conductor of Zurich's Tonhalle since 2020. Early life Järvi was born in Tallinn, Estonia (then occupied by the Soviet Union), to Liilia Järvi and the Estoni ...
, Eberbach Abbey, 23 June 2007 * ''Unergründliches Geheimnis'' (''Enigmatic Secret''), Sacred choral music of Brahms, Bruckner, Mendelssohn and Reger,
Windsbacher Knabenchor The Windsbacher Knabenchor (Windsbach Boys' Choir) is a German boys' choir in Windsbach, Germany, founded in 1946 and performing internationally. History The choir was founded in 1946 by Hans Thamm and was conducted by Karl-Friedrich Beringer fro ...
, Marktkirche Wiesbaden, 18 July 2008 * ''Rheingau Musik Festival 2009, Best of Vol. III'',
Baiba Skride Baiba Skride (born 19 February 1981) is a Latvian classical violinist. She was the winner of the Queen Elisabeth Violin Contest in 2001. Background and studies Baiba Skride comes from a very musical Latvian family: her love of music comes from h ...
,
Nikolaj Znaider Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider (born 5 July 1975 in Copenhagen, Denmark) is a Danish violinist and conductor. Biography Szeps-Znaider was born in Copenhagen to Polish-Jewish parents. His father had originally emigrated from Poland to Israel, and his mo ...
,
Alfredo Perl Alfredo Perl (born in Santiago de Chile in 1965) is a Chilean-German classical pianist and conductor, best known for his recitals of Beethoven's sonatas. Biography He began playing the piano from a young age. He studied at the Chilean National Co ...
,
Xavier de Maistre Xavier de Maistre (; 10 October 1763 – 12 June 1852) of Savoy (then part of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia) was a French military man and author. The younger brother of Joseph de Maistre, a noted philosopher and counter-revolutionary, X ...
,
Christian Gerhaher Christian Gerhaher (born 24 July 1969, in Straubing) is a German baritone and bass singer in opera and concert, particularly known as a Lieder singer. Career Christian Gerhaher studied with Paul Kuën and Raimund Grumbach at the Hochschule ...
,
Windsbacher Knabenchor The Windsbacher Knabenchor (Windsbach Boys' Choir) is a German boys' choir in Windsbach, Germany, founded in 1946 and performing internationally. History The choir was founded in 1946 by Hans Thamm and was conducted by Karl-Friedrich Beringer fro ...
, 2009


References


External links

*
Entries for Rheingau Musik Festival
on
WorldCat WorldCat is a union catalog that itemizes the collections of tens of thousands of institutions (mostly libraries), in many countries, that are current or past members of the OCLC global cooperative. It is operated by OCLC, Inc. Many of the O ...
, recordings, books and articles *
Rheingau Musik Festival mit 86 Prozent Auslastung
(in German) musik-heute.de 3 September 2021 {{Authority control Music festivals established in 1987 Classical music festivals in Germany 1987 establishments in West Germany Rheingau Frankfurt Radio Symphony