Four trumpeters will be scattered throughout the concert hall, accompanied by organ music, promising a magnificent auditory experience in Bonn's newly renovated Beethovenhalle.
The piece "A Call to the Heavens" was composed by Stefan Behrisch specifically for the opening of this year's Beethovenfest. Additionally, the London Symphony Orchestra, led by principal conductor Sir Antonio Pappano, will perform Ludwig van Beethoven's "Die Weihe des Hauses" ("The Consecration of the House") as well as Bruckner's Symphony No. 9 at the opening concert on September 4.
For nine years, Bonn's Beethovenhalle, a designated historic landmark, was unavailable for the festival. But now, as Philipp Seliger, spokesperson for the Beethoven Festival explains, "we have a large concert hall again with its excellent original acoustics." He adds: "We can once again invite major renowned orchestras because we have the appropriate stage and infrastructure." This also prompted Hungarian star pianist, András Schiff, to perform at the festival this year.
A musical home for everyone
The new hall is not only intended to make stars and major orchestras feel at home — the audience and local musicians ought to feel that way too. Indeed, for local musicians, there is a specially designed "Festival Salon" where local communities and bands can create their own programs. And anyone can come by and participate in the "Meet your band" project, which is an accessible, free program for people who otherwise wouldn't visit a classical concert hall.
The Beethovenfest also reaches out to people in neighborhoods across the city, right where they live. For over a year, as a part of this effort, Juri de Marco and the "Community Choir" have been encouraging people to sing and improvise, regardless of whether they can read music.
"For me, home is more a feeling than it is a place. It's where you can rely on a genuine social network, where people notice when you are absent," says festival director Steven Walter. who has lived in various places around the world himself. "Everywhere I go, my sense of well-being depends on my social connections."
Beethoven reinterpreted
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn in 1850, and died in Vienna in 1827. Next year marks the 200th anniversary of his death, and to celebrate it, pianist Kit Armstrong with conductor Jan Caeyers, along with his orchestra "Le Concert Olympique," are launching "Beethoven 27," a major Beethoven cycle. In nine concerts, they will present entirely new interpretations of Beethoven's nine symphonies, as well as his sonatas and piano concertos.
The first three concerts will be presented at this year's Beethovenfest. Caeyers has devoted himself to Beethoven not only as a conductor but also as a musicologist. He is the author of the acclaimed biography "Beethoven: A life." Even so, Caeyers says he is far from finished discovering the composer.
"Every time I immerse myself in Beethoven, new and unexpected doors open. That's what keeps me fascinated," Caeyers told DW. Pianist Kit Armstrong feels the same way. "There isn't just one Beethoven," he said. "There are countless images and perspectives of Beethoven, including many that emerged long after his death. Those perspectives should also inform the way we interpret his music today."
Spotlight on Georgia
This year's Beethovenfest artists will introduce music from their homelands. Among them are Senegalese kora player Momi Maiga and Palestinian-Syrian pianist Aeham Ahmad, who gained global renown for playing the piano amid the rubble of the Syrian civil war.
Violinist Lisa Batiashvili, who was born in Georgia, is this year's artist in residence at the Beethovenfest. Performing with the Dresden Philharmonic, she will present works from her homeland as part of the program "City Lights" — a personal tribute to Georgia, which the festival is spotlighting this year.
As part of the festival's long-running "Campus" youth exchange program, young musicians from Georgia and Germany will collaborate, with Beethoven's music being performed alongside works by leading Georgian composers. The entire ensemble will also perform Heinrich Schütz's five-part motet "Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich" ("Grant Us Gracious Peace").
Musicians from Germany's National Youth Orchestra and the Tbilisi Youth Orchestra held their joint rehearsal residency in June, developing their own artistic vision and program for Beethovenfest. The project also explores how young artists see themselves in a country facing political turmoil, where the path toward Europe has repeatedly shifted course.
17-year-old composer and pianist Tsotne Zedginidze is regarded as one of Georgia's most extraordinary young musical talents. He was commissioned to write the Campus project's new work.
Beyond classical music
Crossovers, musical fusion and new ideas for the future of music remain central to this year's Beethovenfest. Two musical worlds will come together with kora player Momi Maiga joining the string orchestra "Ensemble Resonanz" to improvise on Beethoven's music.
American composer Brittany J. Green will experiment with artificial intelligence and visual effects in her work "gLitchED dreams//invisible BEINGS." Performed with the music collective "Alarm Will Sound," the piece creates a sonic landscape inspired by the digital age. "We're looking for the Beethovens of our time," says Philipp Seliger, "including people who aren't necessarily composers of classical music."
The Beethovenfest runs from Sept 3 through Oct 3, 2026. DW is a media partner and co-shareholder of the festival.
