A school gym, a museum, or right in the middle of town – you never know where you might find our pedal-powered VeloStage! Alongside our opera project for young music-lovers, our VeloStage brings music to Baden-Baden’s hidden corners. The Berliner Philharmoniker’s education team is busy all across town this Easter Festival – with creative formats, infectious enthusiasm, and enough music for the whole town.
A group of Vokalhelden members also travelled to the Easter Festival in Baden-Baden. From manga workshops to poetry slams, the focus was on “Madama Butterfly”. The highlight: at the joint Music Slam with the National Youth Orchestra of Germany and members of the Berliner Philharmoniker, participants presented their work to an enthusiastic audience.
The National Youth Orchestra of Germany (BJO) has enjoyed the patronage of the Berliner Philharmoniker since 2013. The 2025 Easter Festival in Baden-Baden brought many further opportunities for collaboration. The musicians shared both intimate stages, such as at the Music Slam in the youth centre, and grand ones like the Bénazet Hall in the Kurhaus, where they performed works like Brahms’s Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9, arranged for octet by Detlef Glanert, together. And the traditional football match on Easter Sunday brought a note of fierce yet friendly competition between the ensembles.
The weather very nearly put a stop to our plans – but in the end, both VeloStage concerts were able to take place outdoors in front of the Stadtmuseum. Back on stage (and the balcony) once again: Álvaro Parra (violin) and Martin Stegner (viola).
The Easter Festival traditionally opens at the Kurhaus on Saturday – and this year, it was accompanied by collective clarinet power on our VeloStage, with Matic Kuder, Andraž Golob, Alexander Bader and Kilian Herold.
First stop for our VeloStage at this year’s Easter Festival: the gym hall of the Theodor Heuss School! Onstage: Álvaro Parra (violin), Martin Stegner (viola), Dietmar Schwalke (cello) & Martin Heinze (double bass). In the audience: a crowd of wide-eyed young music fans – and lots of curiosity!
The Berliner Philharmoniker’s education programme has been made possible by Deutsche Bank since its inception in 2002. The aim of both partners is to make the work of the orchestra accessible to a wide audience and to inspire people of all ages for music and culture.