Musikfest Berlin 2026
Dates
28.08. –23.09.2026
Organiser
Berliner Festspiele
Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker
Tickets
via Berliner Festspiele
Musikfest Berlin will take place from 28 August to 23 September 2026 in co-operation with the Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation and marks the 75th anniversary of the Berliner Festspiele. Tickets are already available now for ten selected concert highlights at the Philharmonie Berlin. These guest concerts include some of the world’s best symphony orchestras and choirs from Finland, Spain, England, South Africa, the USA, Austria, Germany and Switzerland.
The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Helsinki Chamber Choir conducted by Nicholas Collon will open Musikfest Berlin 2026 with a concert performance of György Ligeti’s anti-opera Le Grand Macabre. George Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess will be presented by the Chineke! Orchestra, the Cape Town Opera and the conductor Enrique Mazzola. The Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra conducted by Jörg Widmann will tackle Wolfgang Rihm’s irrepressible Artaud ritual Tutuguri. Two leading ensembles for historically informed performance practice, the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra with Sir Simon Rattle and the Ensemble Le Concert des Nations with Jordi Savall, will present guest concerts with music by Robert Schumann and Felix Mendelsohn. In addition to the WDR Sinfonieorchester with Kent Nagano and the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra with Alan Gilbert, the Vienna Philharmonic with Tugan Sokhiev, the Kansas City Symphony with Matthias Pintscher and the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano are also awaited at Musikfest Berlin 2026.
Konzerte und Tickets
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Nicholas Collon conductor
Sarah Aristidou soprano (Venus and Chief of Gepopo)
Heidi Melton soprano (Mescalina)
Andrew Watts countertenor (Prince Go-Go)
Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke tenor (Piet the Pot)
Leigh Melrose baritone (Nekrotzar)
Karl Huml bass (Astradamors)
Kathrin Lorenzen soprano (Amanda)
Jingjing Xu mezzo-soprano (Amando)
Luke Terence Scott bass (Black Party Minister)
Tuomas Katajala tenor (White Party Minister)
Jussi Merikanto baritone (Schabernack)
Tomi Punkeri baritone (Schobiack)
Sakari Topi baritone (Ruffiack)
Helsinki Chamber Choir choir
Nils Schweckendieck chorus master
Frederic Wake-Walker stage direction
Works by
György Ligeti
György Ligeti
Le Grand Macabre
Ticket sales through the Berliner Festspiele
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Le Concert des Nations
Jordi Savall conductor
Works by
Felix Mendelssohn
Felix Mendelssohn
Symphony No. 3 in A minor, op. 56 “Scottish”
Felix Mendelssohn
The Hebrides Overture, op. 26
Felix Mendelssohn
Symphony No. 4 A major, op. 90 “Italian”
Ticket sales through the Berliner Festspiele
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Kansas City Symphony Orchestra
Matthias Pintscher conductor
Blake Pouliot violin
Works by
Olga Neuwirth, Piotr Tchaikovsky and Sergei Rachmaninoff
Olga Neuwirth
Tombeau I for orchestra and sample
Olga Neuwirth
Dreydl
Piotr Tchaikovsky
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major, op. 35
Blake Pouliot violin
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Symphony No. 3 in A minor, op. 44
Ticket sales through the Berliner Festspiele
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra
Jörg Widmann conductor
Michael Engelhardt speaker
Christoph Sietzen percussion preparation and percussion
N. N. drums
Markus Güdel light
Maxime Le Saux sound direction
Works by
Wolfgang Rihm
Wolfgang Rihm
Tutuguri, Poème dansé for large orchestra, choir on tape and speaker
Ticket sales through the Berliner Festspiele
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Freiburger Barockorchester
Sir Simon Rattle conductor
Isabelle Faust violin
Works by
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann
Genoveva, op. 81: Overture
Robert Schumann
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D minor
Isabelle Faust violin
Robert Schumann
Symphony No. 2 in C major, op. 61
Ticket sales through the Berliner Festspiele
Main Auditorium
Konzerthausorchester Berlin
Joana Mallwitz conductor
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Florian Helgath chorus master
Works by
Hans Werner Henze
Hans Werner Henze
Sinfonia No. 9 for mixed Choir and Orchestra
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln
Kent Nagano conductor
Sarah Aristidou soprano
Works by
Alex Nante, Yvonne Loriod and Felix Mendelssohn
Alex Nante
^Eine feste Burg on Bach's Chorale, BWV 302
Yvonne Loriod
La Sainte Face for soprano and orchestra
Sarah Aristidou soprano
Felix Mendelssohn
Symphony No. 5 in D minor, op. 107 “Reformationˮ
Ticket sales through the Berliner Festspiele
Musikfest Berlin
Chamber Music Hall
RIAS Kammerchor
Instrumentalist*innen der Jungen Deutschen Philharmonie
Gregor Meyer conductor
GrauSchumacher Piano Duo:
Andreas Grau piano
Götz Schumacher piano
Works by
Hans Werner Henze and Johannes Brahms
Hans Werner Henze
Notturno, Serenade for Wind Instruments, Double Bass and Piano
Hans Werner Henze
Musen Siziliens, Concerto for mixed chorus, two pianos, wind instruments and timpani
Johannes Brahms
Liebeslieder-Waltzes for voices and piano four-hands, op. 52
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Das Konzert mit der Maus
WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln
Bar Avni conductor
Die Maus
Jana Forkel presentation
Johannes Büchs presentation
Das Konzert mit der Maus
Music, amusing and factual stories all about the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sold by the Berliner Festspiele
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Das Konzert mit der Maus
WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln
Bar Avni conductor
Die Maus
Jana Forkel presentation
Johannes Büchs presentation
Das Konzert mit der Maus
Music, amusing and factual stories all about the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sold by the Berliner Festspiele
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor
Eivind Ringstad viola
Works by
Sofia Gubaidulina and Anton Bruckner
Sofia Gubaidulina
Konzert für Viola und Orchester
Eivind Ringstad viola
Anton Bruckner
Symphony No. 9 in D minor
Ticket sales through the Berliner Festspiele
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester
Alan Gilbert conductor
Tamara Stefanovich piano
N. N. sound direction
Works by
Hans Werner Henze and Johannes Brahms
Hans Werner Henze
Tristan, Préludes für Klavier, Tonbänder und Orchester
Tamara Stefanovich piano, N. N. sound direction
Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 1 in C minor, op. 68
Ticket sales through the Berliner Festspiele
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Staatskapelle Berlin
Christian Thielemann conductor
Rudolf Buchbinder piano
Works by
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Anton Bruckner
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 21 in C major, K. 467
Rudolf Buchbinder piano
Anton Bruckner
Symphony No. 4 in E flat major “Romantic” (2nd version from 1878/1880)
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Wiener Philharmoniker
Tugan Sokhiev conductor
Hilary Hahn violin
Works by
Antonín Dvořák and Sergei Prokofiev
Antonín Dvořák
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A minor, op. 53
Hilary Hahn violin
Sergei Prokofiev
Romeo and Juliet, op. 64: Excerpts
Ticket sales through the Berliner Festspiele
Composer in Residence
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Berliner Philharmoniker
Brett Dean conductor
Jennifer France soprano
Works by
Brett Dean and Claude Debussy
Brett Dean
Conversations with Schumann
Jennifer France soprano
Brett Dean
And once I played Ophelia
Jennifer France soprano
Interval
Claude Debussy
La Cathédrale engloutie (orch. Colin Matthews)
Brett Dean
Beggars and Angels
Composer in Residence
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Berliner Philharmoniker
Brett Dean conductor
Jennifer France soprano
Works by
Brett Dean and Claude Debussy
Brett Dean
Conversations with Schumann
Jennifer France soprano
Brett Dean
And once I played Ophelia
Jennifer France soprano
Interval
Claude Debussy
La Cathédrale engloutie (orch. Colin Matthews)
Brett Dean
Beggars and Angels
Composer in Residence
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Berliner Philharmoniker
Brett Dean conductor
Jennifer France soprano
Works by
Brett Dean and Claude Debussy
Brett Dean
Conversations with Schumann
Jennifer France soprano
Brett Dean
And once I played Ophelia
Jennifer France soprano
Interval
Claude Debussy
La Cathédrale engloutie (orch. Colin Matthews)
Brett Dean
Beggars and Angels
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
At the invitation of the Berliner Philharmoniker
Organ matinee
Shin-Young Lee organ
Marie-Pierre Langlamet harp
Works by
Alexander Borodin, Franz Liszt, George Frideric Handel, Camille Saint-Saëns, Gustav Mahler and Louis Vierne
Alexander Borodin
Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dances (arr. for organ by Shin-Young Lee)
Franz Liszt
Trois Études de concert: No. 3 Un sospiro (arr. for organ and harp by Marco-Enrico Bossi)
Marie-Pierre Langlamet harp
George Frideric Handel
Harpsichord Suite No. 7 in G minor, HWV 432: 6th Movement Passacaglia (arr. for organ by Shin-Young Lee)
George Frideric Handel
Organ Concerto in B flat major, op. 4 No. 6 HWV 294 (arr. for harp and organ with a cadence by Marcel Grandjany)
Marie-Pierre Langlamet harp
Camille Saint-Saëns
Samson et Dalila: “Mon cœur sʼouvre à ta voix” (arr. for organ by Shin-Young Lee)
Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 5: Adagietto (arr. for organ and harp by Joachim Dorfmüller)
Marie-Pierre Langlamet harp
Louis Vierne
Carillon de Westminster, op. 54 No. 6
Musikfest Berlin
Chamber Music Hall
Ensemble Resonanz
Enno Poppe conductor
Works by
Benjamin Britten, Milica Djordjević, Jean-Philippe Rameau and Enno Poppe
Benjamin Britten
Les Illuminations op. 18
Anna Prohaska soprano
Milica Djordjević
Sky Limited
Enno Poppe conductor
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Les Indes galantes: Suite
Enno Poppe
New Work for Soprano, Chamber Orchestra and Microtonal Continuo (première), commissioned by Ensemble Resonanz and Berliner Festspiele/Musikfest Berlin
Anna Prohaska soprano, Enno Poppe conductor
Sold by the Berliner Festspiele
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin
Vladimir Jurowski conductor
Galina Cheplakova soprano
Anton Rositskiy tenor
Vladislav Sulimsky baritone
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Works by
Edison Denisov, Anatol Vieru and Sergei Rachmaninoff
Edison Denisov
Peinture
Anatol Vieru
Symphony No. 2
Sergei Rachmaninoff
The Bells (Kolokola) for soloists, chorus and orchestra, op. 35
Galina Cheplakova soprano, Anton Rositskiy tenor, Vladislav Sulimsky baritone, Rundfunkchor Berlin
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Chineke! Orchestra
Kwamé Ryan conductor
Siyabulela Ntlale bass-baritone (Porgy)
Nonhlanhla Yende soprano (Bess)
Lukhanyo Moyake tenor (Sportin’ Life)
Conroy Scott baritone (Crown)
Brittany Smith soprano (Clara)
Siphamandla Moyake soprano (Serena)
Lungelwa Mdekazi mezzo-soprano (Maria)
Cape Town Opera Vocal Ensemble
Antoinette Huyssen chorus master
Works by
George Gershwin
George Gershwin
Porgy and Bess
Edwin DuBose Heyward, Dorothy Heyward, Ira Gershwin
Ticket sales through the Berliner Festspiele
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Simone Young conductor
Francesco Piemontesi piano
Works by
Benjamin Britten, Gustav Mahler, Liza Lim and Ludwig van Beethoven
Benjamin Britten
Peter Grimes, op. 33a: Four Sea Interludes
Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 10: 1st Movement Adagio
Liza Lim
Annunciation Triptych: 1. Sappho/Bioluminescence
Ludwig van Beethoven
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in E flat major, op. 73
Francesco Piemontesi piano
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Berliner Philharmoniker
Sir Simon Rattle conductor
Rinat Shaham mezzo-soprano
Dominik Wollenweber Englischhorn
Works by
Manuel de Falla, Cathy Milliken and Leoš Janáček
Manuel de Falla
El sombrero de tres picos (The Three-Cornered Hat), ballet music
Rinat Shaham mezzo-soprano
Interval
Cathy Milliken
why feather yellow, Concerto for Cor anglais and Orchestra (premiere), commissioned by the Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation
Dominik Wollenweber Englischhorn
Leoš Janáček
Taras Bulba, Rhapsody for Orchestra
Musikfest Berlin
Chamber Music Hall
Ensemble Modern
Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart
SWR Experimentalstudio
Works by
Clara Iannotta and Márton Illés
Clara Iannotta
They left us grief-trees wailing at the wall for 9 amplified instruments
Clara Iannotta
echo from afar (ii) for 6 musicians and electronics
Márton Illés
von mund zu mund for voices, ensemble and live electronics based on a text by Felix Reinhuber (premiere)
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Berliner Philharmoniker
Sir Simon Rattle conductor
Rinat Shaham mezzo-soprano
Dominik Wollenweber Englischhorn
Works by
Manuel de Falla, Cathy Milliken and Leoš Janáček
Manuel de Falla
El sombrero de tres picos (The Three-Cornered Hat), ballet music
Rinat Shaham mezzo-soprano
Interval
Cathy Milliken
why feather yellow, Concerto for Cor anglais and Orchestra (premiere), commissioned by the Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation
Dominik Wollenweber Englischhorn
Leoš Janáček
Taras Bulba, Rhapsody for Orchestra
Musikfest Berlin
Deutsche Oper
Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin
String Quartet from the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin
Ensemble Le Balcon choir
Ensemble Le Balcon musicians
Maxime Pascal musical direction
Tarren Johnson Performance
Marie Groothof Performance
Dominic Santia Performance
Ixchel Mendoza Performance
Laurie Young Performance
Susanne Kennedy stage direction
Markus Selg stage design and video
Andra Dumitrascu costumes
Marcel Weber light
Florent Derex Sounddesign
Jeremy Bines chorus master
Beate Breidenbach dramaturgy
Works by
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Mittwoch aus Licht (German premiere)
Ticket sales through the Deutsche Oper Berlin
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Berliner Philharmoniker
Sir Simon Rattle conductor
Rinat Shaham mezzo-soprano
Dominik Wollenweber Englischhorn
Works by
Manuel de Falla, Cathy Milliken and Leoš Janáček
Manuel de Falla
El sombrero de tres picos (The Three-Cornered Hat), ballet music
Rinat Shaham mezzo-soprano
Interval
Cathy Milliken
why feather yellow, Concerto for Cor anglais and Orchestra (premiere), commissioned by the Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation
Dominik Wollenweber Englischhorn
Leoš Janáček
Taras Bulba, Rhapsody for Orchestra
Musikfest Berlin
Haus der Berliner Festspiele
The Puppeteers and their roles:
Edouard Funck, Ursula Winzer The Soldier
Philippe Brunner, Eva Wiener The Devil
Vladimir Fediakov, Maximilian Kiener-Laubenbacher The Princess
Veronika Grimme The King/The War Veteran
Marion Mayer The Herald/The Trumpeter
Philipp Schmidt The Drummer
Ensemble of the Salzburger Marionettentheater The Villagers
Dominique Horwitz speaker
Isabelle Faust violin
Pascal Moraguès clarinet
Giorgio Mandolesi bassoon
Reinhold Friedrich cornet
Ian Bousfield trombone
Wies de Boevé double bass
Raymond Curfs percussion
Matthias Bundschuh director
Georg Baselitz puppets and décor
Leonhard Winkler realisation of stage design and string puppets
Works by
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Histoire du soldat (Geschichte vom Soldaten)
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Late Night
Noah Bendix-Balgley violin
Brett Dean viola
Ludwig Quandt cello
Benjamin Hochman piano
Works by
Cathy Milliken, Brett Dean and Robert Schumann
Cathy Milliken
In Play (premiere)
Brett Dean
Imaginary Ballet
Robert Schumann
Piano Quartet in E flat major, op. 47
Musikfest Berlin
Haus der Berliner Festspiele
The Puppeteers and their roles:
Edouard Funck, Ursula Winzer The Soldier
Philippe Brunner, Eva Wiener The Devil
Vladimir Fediakov, Maximilian Kiener-Laubenbacher The Princess
Veronika Grimme The King/The War Veteran
Marion Mayer The Herald/The Trumpeter
Philipp Schmidt The Drummer
Ensemble of the Salzburger Marionettentheater The Villagers
Dominique Horwitz speaker
Isabelle Faust violin
Pascal Moraguès clarinet
Giorgio Mandolesi bassoon
Reinhold Friedrich cornet
Ian Bousfield trombone
Wies de Boevé double bass
Raymond Curfs percussion
Matthias Bundschuh director
Georg Baselitz puppets and décor
Leonhard Winkler realisation of stage design and string puppets
Works by
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Histoire du soldat (Geschichte vom Soldaten)
Musikfest Berlin
Haus der Berliner Festspiele
The Puppeteers and their roles:
Edouard Funck, Ursula Winzer The Soldier
Philippe Brunner, Eva Wiener The Devil
Vladimir Fediakov, Maximilian Kiener-Laubenbacher The Princess
Veronika Grimme The King/The War Veteran
Marion Mayer The Herald/The Trumpeter
Philipp Schmidt The Drummer
Ensemble of the Salzburger Marionettentheater The Villagers
Dominique Horwitz speaker
Isabelle Faust violin
Pascal Moraguès clarinet
Giorgio Mandolesi bassoon
Reinhold Friedrich cornet
Ian Bousfield trombone
Wies de Boevé double bass
Raymond Curfs percussion
Matthias Bundschuh director
Georg Baselitz puppets and décor
Leonhard Winkler realisation of stage design and string puppets
Works by
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Histoire du soldat (Geschichte vom Soldaten)
Musikfest Berlin
Main Auditorium
Kanze Nō Theatre
Kiyokazu Kanze, XXVI. grand master of the Kanze School
Works by
Hagoromo ‒ Kaki Yamabushi ‒ Shakkyō
Hagoromo (The Robe of Feathers), Dramatic Noh play (anonymous, ca. 14th/15th century)
Kaki Yamabushi (The Persimmon Thief), Kyōgen comedy (anonymous, ca. 14th/15th century)
Shakkyō (The Stone Bridge), Dramatic Noh play in shortened form (Han-Noh) (anonymous, ca. 14th/15th century)
Sold by the Berliner Festspiele
Musikfest Berlin
Chamber Music Hall
School Concert
Kiyokazu Kanze XXVI. grand master of the Kanze School
Works by
A journey into the world of Nō theatre and traditional Japanese performing arts
A journey into the world of Nō theatre and traditional Japanese performing arts
Closed school event for students in grades 7–13.