Arrived: bass trombonist Stefan Schulz and his camper van

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

A unique perspective: Sir Simon Rattle conducts the premiere of Wagner’s “Parsifal”

(Photo: Monikar Rittershaus)

Von Blumenmädchen umgarnt: Stephen Gould als Parsifal

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

Backstage: hornist Georg Schreckenberger warms up

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

“Happy Birthday, Lennie”: pianist Kristian Zimerman with a humorous homage to Leonard Bernstein, who would have been 100 years old in 2018

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

A “Concert to Go” of the Education Programme: flutist Jelka Weber, Christoph von der Nahmer, violin, and his brother Martin, viola, spark the interest of pupils at the Theodor Heuss School in music

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

Mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča was one of the star guests at the 2018 Easter Festival

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

Festival Hall sponsor Horst Weitzmann invited the Berliner Philharmoniker to visit his Badische Stahlwerke (Baden Steelworks) on their free day

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

Karajan Academy scholars perform at the Spitalkirche (Hospital Church)

(Photo: Andrea Kremper)

As bold as brass: “The Little Parsifal”, the children’s opera presented by the Education Programme

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

Mozart’s opera “La finta giardiniera”, performed by scholars of the Karajan Academy and vocal soloists from Baden-Württemberg music academies

(Photo: Monika Ritterhaus)

Master Concert with the Brahms Ensemble Berlin

(Photo: Gregonowits)

Museum Frieder Burda: Members of the Berliner Philharmoniker and singer Elisabeth Rapp perform John Cage’s “Ryoanji”

(Photo: Gregonowits)

Closing applause for Iván Fischer and Vilde Frang

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

Sir Simon Rattle is named Honorary Conductor of the Bundesjugendorchester (German National Youth Orchestra)

(Photo: Andrea Kremper)

Master Concert at St. Bernard’s Church: Baroque music with Concerto Melante, members of the Berliner Philharmoniker and guests, including singers Monika Mauch, Alexander Seidel, Jan Kobow and Wolf-Matthias Friedrich

(Photo: Gregonowits)

Daniel Harding conducts Richard Strauss’s “Alpine Symphony”

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

Happy ending: a successful Festival comes to a close; for Sir Simon Rattle it was the last Easter Festival as chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)