Do. 26.6.25 | 19:30 Uhr | Schloss Johannisberg, Cuvéehof | Fredric Wesley, leader; Martha High, voc, special guest; Joya Wesley, Manager · Dwayne Dolphin, bass, Peter Madsen, keys · Gary Winters, trumpet, Bruno Speight, guitar · Bryan Morris, drums; Charles McNeal, sax
There was an absolute party atmosphere in the Cuveehof at Schloss Johannisberg on June 26, 2025, when Fred Wesley and his New JB’s thrilled the audience with a mixture of funk, R’n’B and soul. A very special interlude was provided by 80-year-old Martha High, who zipped across the stage with incredible energy, a powerful voice, a striking hairstyle, elegance and a performance reminiscent of Tina Turner, finally getting off the stage and dancing into the rows of the audience. Parts of the audience also got up and danced along.
Do. 26.6.25 | 19:30 Uhr | Schloss Johannisberg, Cuvéehof | Fredric Wesley, leader; Martha High, voc, special guest; Joya Wesley, Manager · Dwayne Dolphin, bass, Peter Madsen, keys · Gary Winters, trumpet, Bruno Speight, guitar · Bryan Morris, drums; Charles McNeal, sax
Funk Legends Reunited Jazz legend Fred Wesley, the internationally acclaimed trombonist and former musical director of James Brown’s band, celebrated his debut at the Rheingau Music Festival this year. With his concert on June 26, he brought funky grooves to the Cuvéehof at Schloss Johannisberg. Together with the impressive singer Martha High, who also performed with James Brown for 30 years, and the band The New JB’s, he brought the legacy of funk to the stage with new energy. The ensemble impressed Continue reading “Fred Wesley & The New JBs feat. Martha High”
Sun. June 22, 2025 | 7 p.m. | Kurhaus Wiesbaden, Friedrich-von-Thiersch-Saal | Beatrice Rana, piano; MDR Radio Choir; Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Alain Altinoglu, conductor
The summer of music in the Rheingau has begun again. The picturesque landscape and wine region stretching along the right bank of the Rhine, from Wiesbaden to the town of Rüdesheim am Rhein, is once again the backdrop for the Rheingau Music Festival, founded in 1988 by Michael Herrmann, the festival’s artistic director. From June 21 to September 6, 2025, there will be 154 concerts at 27 venues in Wiesbaden and the Rheingau.
The Opening Concert II took place in the magnificent Friedrich von Thiersch Hall of the Kurhaus in Wiesbaden. “Une barque sur l’océan in F-sharp minor from Miroirs M. 43” by auMrice Ravel (1875-1937) and his Concerto for Piano
Damour&The Good – Soundcheck at the festival location Superstadl/Foto: Susi Schmalz
From May 23 to June 1, 2025, the Oberpinzgau in the province of Salzburg became a space, a landscape, where art was to find completely new spaces. Forests and meadows, mountains and lakes, national park valleys, especially the Habachtal valley, villages and hay barns became a stage for ten days. The numerous events, which also focused on the interaction between environmental protection and art, were well attended.
For over a year, international artists explored the Pinzgau region, the westernmost region of the province of Salzburg, did research,
talked to local people, took up themes and issues and developed them artistically.
Damour&The Good at the “Supergau” Festival in Oberpinzgau
The song “Mercy” by Hannes Muhr, an artist who himself lives in Oberpinzgau, the venue of the “Supergau” festival, accompanied by his band, dramatically and forcefully points out the destruction of the environment with sound and lyrics. He was very well received by the festival visitors. The “Stadl” served as the band’s stage on May 30th in Uttendorf.
The former Cistercian monastery of Eberbach is the perfect location for the performance of Carl Orff’s musical firework “Carmina Burana”. It was also chosen for the film adaptation of Umberto Eco’s “The Name of the Rose” from 300 monasteries when looking for a suitable medieval venue. It is not surprising that Carmina Burana has been fully booked three times at this year’s Rheingau Music Festival. This was also emphasised by Michael Herrmann, artistic director and managing director of the festival, in his welcoming speech in the basilica. The Rheingau landscape in which the monastery is nestled and the simple, three-aisled Romanesque basilica, built between 1136 and 1186, have a magical attraction.Continue reading “Carmina Burana – A musical firework”
Bruce Liu, Piano, accompanied by the hr-Sinfonieorchester conducted by Alain Altinoglu, in the Kurhaus of Wiesbaden, Friedrich-von-Thiersch-Saal/Foto: Ansgar Klostermann, RMF
The magnificent Friedrich-von-Thiersch-Saal in the Kurhaus of the Hessian capital Wiesbaden was the place where Bruce Liu, the 27-year-old Canadian pianist of Chinese origin, accompanied by the hr-sinfony Orchestra, conducted by Alain Altinoglu, showed off his skills on June 23, 2024, the second day of the opening concert of the Rheingau Music Festival 2024.
July 7th 2023: Wiesbaden Kurpark becomes Opera stage/Foto: Ansgar Klostermann
Bellini, Donizetti, Puccini and of course Verdi! The Orchestra e Coro Sinfonica di Milano under the direction of Claus Peter Flor, the Coro Sinfonica di Milano under the musical direction of Romano Gandolfi, the soprano Carmela Remigio and the tenor Davide Giusti made the evening an enjoyable experience. It was an atmospheric evening at the opera in a perfect setting, in the Kurpark in Wiesbaden.
With Hector Berlioz’s Ouverture ‘ Le Carnaval romain’, Edouard Lalo’s `Symphonie espagnole` and Francis Poulenc’s `Stabat Mater’, the Rheingau Music Festival started its 2023 season in the basilica of Eberbach Monastery in the Rheingau.
The hr-Sinfonieorchester, conducted by Alain Altinoglu, the MDR Rundfunkchor under the direction of Philipp Ahmann, the brilliant debut of the only 17-year-old Brazilian violin soloist Guido Sant’Anna and the powerful-voiced soprano Vannina Santoni delivered a true pleasure package for all senses.
The opening concert began with Hector Berlioz’s popular overture “Le carnaval romain.” In this lively concert piece, which lasted about ten minutes, Berlioz used themes from his opéra-comique “Benvenuto Cellini.” Fancy rhythms correspond here with motifs of the carnival and cheerfully dancing people. Different tempi and dynamics convey many moods.
Virtuoso energetic playing in a red silk shirt
Édouard Lalo’s “Symphonie espagnole (op. 21, D minor),” which lasted about half an hour, conveyed special intensity. The 17-year-old Brazilian Guido Sant’Anna, who won the renowned International Fritz Kreisler Violin Competition in Vienna in September 2022, was engaged as solo violinist. This year he received a scholarship to study at the Kronberg Academy. With his virtuosic and energetic playing, wearing a striking red silk shirt, he immediately captured the audience completely. The climax was the fourth movement: the initial brass notes were followed by an almost intimate playing of the solo violin.
Chief conductor Alain Altinoglu ensured a successful dialogue between the hr-Sinfonieorchester and Guido Sant’Anna during the “Symphonie espagnole”. The audience, extremly clapped for a solo encore: the second movement “Dance roustique” from the Sonata No. 5 in G major (“The Dawn”) by the Belgian violinist, composer and conductor Eugène Ysaÿe.
Intensity and power of a beautiful voice
After the intermission, Francis Poulenc’s “Stabat Mater” was played, a religious work that fits perfectly into the basilica of Eberbach Monastery. The intercessory prayer is about the mother of Jesus in her pain for the crucified Jesus. There are numerous settings of the medieval poem, for example by Charpentier, Haydn, Rossini, Schubert, Verdi or Vivaldi. In the work, which is divided into twelve sequences, the choir takes center stage. The MDR Rundfunkchor, conducted by Philipp Ahmann, conveyed the prayer with high intensity.
The French soprano Vannina Santoni convinced with her special charisma and the intensity and power of her beautiful voice.
The French soprano Vannina Santoni convinced in the sequences “Vidit suum dulcem Natum”, “Fac, ut portem Christi mortem” and the final “Quando corpus morietur” with her special charisma and the intensity and power of her beautiful voice.
Former German President Joachim Gauck asked in his ceremonial address. “Are we allowed to rejoice in times like these? His answer: “Of course, what faith enables me to do, music also enables me to do. ” But the power and beauty of music is not an act of escaping the world. Art cannot undo human abysses, but it has the power to transform, to bring about changes and unexpected things.
Johanna Wenninger-Muhr
The hr Symphony Orchestra and the MDR Radio Choir Founded in 1929, the hr-Sinfonieorchester is famous for its dynamic playing culture and musical excellence. Since 2021, it has been led by 48-year-old Paris-born principal conductor Alain Altinoglu. The MDR Rundfunkchor, since January 2020 conducted by Philipp Ahmann, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in the 2023/24 season, is the largest radio choir of the public broadcaster.
The Bamberg Symphony Orchestra has been inspiring audiences around the world with its characteristically dark, round and radiant sound since 1946. With well over 7,300 concerts in more than 500 cities and 63 countries, they have become the cultural ambassador for all of Germany as the Bavarian State Philharmonic./Photo: Ansgar Klostermann
Africa´s islands in the Atlantic/Foto: Doris Minke
By Suse Rabel-Harbering
The discovery of the Cape Verde Islands in 1462 is attributed to Henry the Navigator, who was sailing on behalf of the Portuguese crown. Before the discovery, the islands were deserted. Thanks to its favorable location, the archipelago became a center of international trade relations, being situated in the middle of the three continents of Africa, Asia and America. Apart from sugar cane, rum and salt, the main commodities traded were slaves. Since the middle of the 16th century, Portugal had reserved the exclusive right to market slaves on the West African coast.
Pillory, Cidade Velha, Santiago/Photo: Doris Minke
The 35th festival summer from 25.6. to 3.9.2022 will take place under the guiding principle “Cohesion”. It is intended to bring the music back to the audience in full radiance and in the usual atmospheric manner.
Violinist Julia Fischer and pianist Jan Lisiecki will be featured as focus artists in several concerts of the Rheingau Music Festival at once. Whether in large orchestra concerts, or for the first time together on stage as a duo – Julia Fischer and Jan Lisiecki will bring their deep musical devotion and virtuoso joy of playing to the Rheingau. Continue reading ““Cohesion” – The guiding principle of Rheingau Music Festival 2022″
