Concerts

The world-famous composer Alessandro Scarlatti was a musical border crosser like almost no other Baroque composer. He left his mark on music around 1700 with furious and fiery arias, but also with fragile melodies and a complex compositional technique with daring harmonies. To mark the 300th anniversary of the composer's death, Paper Kite plays a special selection of Scarlatti's serenatas and combines the Sonata a quattro No. 1, a forerunner of the string quartet, with the Cavatina from Beethoven's String Quartet op. 130.

A unique series of concerts in the Beethoven House Museum brings the historical keyboard instruments from the museum's collection to life. Listeners can experience the sound ideals of Beethoven's time at first hand and learn about the special features of the instruments as the pianists explain them.

The concerts last around 40 minutes and take place in the museum's music room. The room is not air-conditioned.

Sergei Babayan's SONGS programme is a poetic journey on the piano through the vocal music of different eras – each piece sounds like a song without words. Inspired by masterpieces from the vocal repertoire, Babayan has put together a colourful mosaic of transcriptions for this evening – from Liszt and Rachmaninoff to his own arrangements.

The first part features Schubert songs in virtuoso arrangements by Liszt, romances by Schumann, Liszt and Rachmaninoff, and sensitive transcriptions by Ponce, Kreisler and Volodos. The second part is devoted to lyrical miniatures by Mompou, Sibelius, Komitas, Poulenc, Gershwin and others – including transcriptions by Babayan himself. He transforms vocal gems such as Grieg's 'Ein Traum' and Fauré's 'Au bord de l'eau' into deeply felt pianistic monologues.

The Bonn Saxophone Ensemble is once again dedicating a concert to the inventor of the saxophone, Adolphe Sax, on the occasion of his birthday on 6 November.

The programme, entitled 'Around the world with the saxophone', will feature musical contributions from many countries around the globe.

The concert is being held in cooperation with Bonn Adult Education Centre.

A unique series of concerts in the Beethoven House Museum brings the historical keyboard instruments from the museum's collection to life. Listeners can experience the sound ideals of Beethoven's time at first hand and learn about the special features of the instruments as the pianists explain them.

The concerts last around 40 minutes and take place in the museum's music room. The room is not air-conditioned.

With his crystal-clear and androgynous voice, Valer Sabadus is one of the top countertenors. ‘On the wings of song’ is the title of his programme, which takes the audience on a journey through 200 years of the art of singing.

Songs and arias by Henry Purcell, Georg F. Händel, Wolfgang A. Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Gabriel Fauré, Reynaldo Hahn and others.

Michiaki Ueno, winner of first prize at the 2021 Geneva International Music Competition and recipient of the Beethoven Ring 2024, performs worldwide at renowned festivals and with famous orchestras such as the Warsaw Philharmonic, Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and the NHK Symphony Orchestra under conductors such as Charles Dutoit, Jonathan Nott, Tugan Sokhiev and Sebastian Weigle. In 2024 and 2025, he performed with Martha Argerich and Mischa Maisky in Tokyo and was Artist in Residence at the Argerich Festival.

Following the release of J.S. Bach's 6 Solo Suites in 2022, the CD ‘Origin’ with emotionally impressive Japanese works is now being released on the LaDolceVolta label.

The concert will feature exciting Japanese pieces as well as Bach's Cello Suites No. 1 and No. 3.

A unique series of concerts in the Beethoven House Museum brings the historical keyboard instruments from the museum's collection to life. Listeners can experience the sound ideals of Beethoven's time at first hand and learn about the special features of the instruments as the pianists explain them.

The concerts last around 40 minutes and take place in the museum's music room. The room is not air-conditioned.

The career of the legendary piano duo Tal and Groethuysen, who never cease to surprise with unusual concert projects, began 40 years ago in Bonn - reason enough to celebrate their stage anniversary here with a reminiscence of the programme from back then in the first part and a new programme in the second half!

The pianist and composer Maria Baptist is a crossover artist between musical worlds. Her music fuses jazz and classical music to create a new sound experience. She has presented her award-winning works on the world's major stages - from the Berlin Philharmonie to the Elbphilharmonie, from New York to Hong Kong - and documented them on 17 albums. Acclaimed by the press as ‘masterful’ and 'virtuoso' for her solo piano recitals, Maria Baptist designs her concerts as a flowing, dramaturgically thought-out process in which composition and improvisation seamlessly intertwine. Each concert thus becomes a unique, constantly changing sound space. With 'The Solo Works', Maria Baptist unfolds a musical narrative in which new works and selected pieces from her repertoire are organically combined - including her piano cycle 'Hopes & Fears', which was nominated for the German Record Critics' Award.

The duo Be-Flügelt – Andreas Güstel and Julian Eilenberger – invite you to a unique piano recital full of emotion, touching melodies and inspiring stories. Enchanting sounds, a cosy atmosphere – and a concert experience that opens hearts. Look forward to a journey through music and stories that sometimes seem unbelievable, often make you laugh and are always full of compassion. We have followed the call of our hearts – and cordially invite you to enjoy lightness, joy and wonder with us.

A unique series of concerts in the Beethoven House Museum brings the historical keyboard instruments from the museum's collection to life. Listeners can experience the sound ideals of Beethoven's time at first hand and learn about the special features of the instruments as the pianists explain them.

The concerts last around 40 minutes and take place in the museum's music room. The room is not air-conditioned.

The duo Be-Flügelt - Andreas Güstel and Julian Eilenberger - invites you to a unique piano recital full of emotions, touching melodies and inspiring stories. Enchanting sounds, a cosy atmosphere - and a concert experience that opens hearts. Look forward to a journey through music and stories that sometimes seem unbelievable, often make you laugh and are always full of compassion. We have followed the call of our hearts - and cordially invite you to enjoy lightness, joy and the marvellous with us.

The award-winning string ensemble LGT Young Soloists, sponsored by the LGT Bank, Liechtenstein, is made up of highly talented young musicians aged 13 to 23 from over 20 nations. The unique concept: exceptional young musicians perform as soloists within the ensemble, accompany each other and share their passion for music. Ten of them will make the Chamber Music Hall resound in a unique way in this concert.

With the kind support of LGT Bank

Passion, precision, unprecedented expressivity and pure emotionality characterise the music-making of the Belcea Quartet, which was last heard in the Chamber Music Hall in September 2024 with an impressive masterclass on Beethoven's string quartets. Now the ensemble presents three of the most important works in this genre.

With the kind support of the Hermann J. Abs Foundation

A unique series of concerts in the Beethoven House Museum brings the historical keyboard instruments from the museum's collection to life. Listeners can experience the sound ideals of Beethoven's time at first hand and learn about the special features of the instruments as the pianists explain them.

The concerts last around 40 minutes and take place in the museum's music room. The room is not air-conditioned.

The wild snowy landscapes that Ernst Lubitsch creates on the screen are the realm of the expressive robber's daughter in the form of the famous Pola Negri, and contrast with the ornate interiors that are home to the officer with whom she falls in love. The film's special charm lies in this alternation between tricky exterior shots and chamber-like interiors. As a grotesque, the film pokes fun at everything military.

In co-operation with the Förderverein Filmkultur Bonn e.V.

Entertaining and colourful stories will be told at Monday Concert 1 at the Beethoven House: stories in music, performed by a powerful and dazzling ensemble of wind instruments, double bass and piano. We travel with Fazıl Say to a small Anatolian village, observe the crowds on the boulevards of Paris with Francis Poulenc and Jean Françaix (including pin-up girls and ageing beauties...), and bring our loved ones a morning serenade as a Spanish jester!

Three singers – three hearts beating in unison – one ensemble – one shared breath – one trio: Trio Ukraina was founded in Bonn in spring 2022 by Iryna Dusheiko (Kyiv), Yana Andrushchenko (Kyiv) and Yulia Parnes (Bonn, born in Moscow). With our songs from Ukraine, but also from Georgia, France and Italy, we combine the musical similarities of different cultures with new and unique arrangements. Our music moves and enlivens, saddens and encourages.

In cooperation with the Landesmusikrat NRW (North Rhine-Westphalia State Music Council)

A unique series of concerts in the Beethoven House Museum brings the historical keyboard instruments from the museum's collection to life. Listeners can experience the sound ideals of Beethoven's time at first hand and learn about the special features of the instruments as the pianists explain them.

The concerts last around 40 minutes and take place in the museum's music room. The room is not air-conditioned.

Pianist Simon Haje's programme is a journey through works that for him represent a musical processing of farewells. According to Simon Haje, music can be a source of strength and hope for an improvement in the world. For all the variety of 'farewell colours', it is this one feeling of well-being that unites the works of this evening.

With the kind support of the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes

The charity Christmas concert is taking place for the third time and invites you to get into the festive spirit with family and friends. This year there will be an exclusive acoustic special. With soulful interpretations of Christmas classics and popular songs to sing along to, goosebumps are guaranteed. An intimate concert with special sounds.

But this evening is not just about music: as in previous years, gifts will be given to the young patients at the Parent-Child Centre at Bonn University Hospital. In addition, the proceeds from the concert will be donated to a charity project in our region that is close to our hearts.

A magical Christmas with Italian tenors!

Italy has never been so close! If you long for atmospheric Christmas sounds, southern warmth and the incomparable magic of la dolce vita, this special Christmas concert is just the thing for you.

The three singers Francesco Malafronte, Cosimo D'Ambrosio and Antonio Palumbo enchant with their unique voices and are accompanied by pianist Angelo Gallone. Together, they take their audience on a musical journey full of Italian passion and festive spirit. The programme combines the most beautiful classic Christmas carols, great Italian opera arias, Neapolitan folk tunes and unforgettable international evergreens. The secret of the trio's success: Italian temperament, a pinch of nostalgia and an indispensable touch of romance – perfectly matched to the most wonderful time of the year.

A cultural highlight for everyone who loves music, joie de vivre and the special magic of the Christmas season.

A unique series of concerts in the Beethoven House Museum brings the historical keyboard instruments from the museum's collection to life. Listeners can experience the sound ideals of Beethoven's time at first hand and learn about the special features of the instruments as the pianists explain them.

The concerts last around 40 minutes and take place in the museum's music room. The room is not air-conditioned.

Anke Helfrich is one of the most outstanding jazz musicians in Europe. Her list of awards and the prominent names she has played with speak for themselves. She has long since developed her own style, which is characterised by musicality, sensuality of sound, swinging virtuosity and the ability to listen. She fuses music and attitude into highly interesting projects, as in her current programme ‘WE'LL RISE’. This is about visualising inspiring women and forgotten pioneers. Anke Helfrich has been playing with her excellent trio for years. Bassist Dietmar Fuhr has played with countless jazz stars at home and abroad, has his own quartet and is a lecturer at several universities. Drummer Jens Düppe is also in great demand on the scene and tours with international formations.

Beethoven Hall, Great Hall

Few works enjoy such popularity as Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons'. The artistic skills that the soloist can demonstrate, in harmony with Vivaldi's pictorial musical language, reflect the natural events, weather phenomena and moods of the individual seasons throughout the year. Composed around 300 years ago, much has certainly changed - not least as a result of climate change. Astor Piazzolla, founder of the ‘Tango nuevo’ and one of South America's most important composers, focuses on people's lives in his version of the seasons, the ‘Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas’ (the ‘Four Seasons of Buenos Aires’).

The Hamburg Stage Ensemble is made up of young, highly qualified instrumentalists who together pursue the vision of not only playing music, but also communicating it. The joy of playing together takes centre stage. The small ensemble and the conscious decision not to have a conductor means that the audience can participate directly in the concert.

Few works enjoy such popularity as Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons'. The artistic skills that the soloist can demonstrate, in harmony with Vivaldi's pictorial musical language, reflect the natural events, weather phenomena and moods of the individual seasons throughout the year. Composed around 300 years ago, much has certainly changed - not least as a result of climate change. Astor Piazzolla, founder of the ‘Tango nuevo’ and one of South America's most important composers, focuses on people's lives in his version of the seasons, the ‘Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas’ (the ‘Four Seasons of Buenos Aires’).

The Hamburg Stage Ensemble is made up of young, highly qualified instrumentalists who together pursue the vision of not only playing music, but also communicating it. The joy of playing together takes centre stage. The small ensemble and the conscious decision not to have a conductor means that the audience can participate directly in the concert.

A unique series of concerts in the Beethoven House Museum brings the historical keyboard instruments from the museum's collection to life. Listeners can experience the sound ideals of Beethoven's time at first hand and learn about the special features of the instruments as the pianists explain them.

The concerts last around 40 minutes and take place in the museum's music room. The room is not air-conditioned.

Born in Yokohama, Sachiko Furuhata made her debut at Carnegie Hall in New York in November 2017, receiving a standing ovation. Since then, she has performed in various major concert halls, including the San Francisco Herbst Theatre, Edinburgh's Usher Hall, Leipzig's Gewandhaus, Berlin's Philharmonie and Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie. As a soloist, she has played with various orchestras, including the Russian State Philharmonic Orchestra and the German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. She is one of the most popular and sought-after pianists in Europe.

The young pianist Colin Pütz – born in 2007, based in Niederkassel and also known to Bonn audiences as the actor who played the young Beethoven in the film 'Louis van Beethoven' – began playing the piano at the age of five. He studies at the Cologne University of Music and Dance with Florence Millet and is a scholarship holder at the International Music Academy Liechtenstein. He has already performed with leading orchestras, including the WDR Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre National de Radio France under the baton of Cristian Macelaru and the Dresden Philharmonic. This year, he was awarded the prestigious Swiss piano prize Prix Serdang in recognition of his 'exceptional maturity and expressiveness' (according to curator Rudolf Buchbinder).

Charity concert in collaboration with the Beethoven House in aid of the project 'Foundation helps Ukrainian artists'

One was considered a child prodigy and did not even live to see her twenty-fifth birthday. The other lived almost a full century and dedicated her life to the work of her sister who died young. Lili and Nadia Boulanger are two exceptional figures in music history.

The 'Boulangerie' project brings their works and life stories into dialogue with each other, thereby initiating a dialogue between the arts. By bringing together biographical narratives and pieces by the two sisters, the project explores their impact in the present day, traces their significance for our contemporary view of female composers, and discovers in text and sound the discourses, horrors and upheavals of the 20th century.

Not only do the two sisters have their say musically, but so do those around them. In addition to works by Nadia and Lili Boulanger, another focus is on their teachers, such as Ernest Boulanger, but also Gabriel Fauré, Louis Vierne and Maurice Ravel.

The works were selected by Anouchka and Katharina Hack, while the literary passages were written by Tilman Strasser and recited during the concert. As an author and cultural concept developer with a musical education, he has already dealt with the intersections of music and literature in many of his works.

In collaboration with Literaturhaus Bonn e.V.

What, pray tell, is a cornet? One could say it is the soft, rounded sister of the brilliant trumpet. Where the trumpet blares, the cornet charms. French composers in particular use it when they need the colour of a brass instrument, perhaps for a love scene, a painful farewell, or a wistful cantilena. For the first time, our solo trumpeter Sandro Hirsch and his colleagues will present the cornet in a chamber concert by the Beethoven Orchestra, with two works for the same instrumentation. Danish and French Romanticism, flanked by the impressionistic string quartet par excellence: Ravel's only, mysterious and rhythmically pulsating string quartet in F major.

Former and active musicians from the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, founded by Daniel Barenboim and Edward W. Said, which consists of equal numbers of Israeli and Arab musicians, will perform chamber music this evening.

Alexander Gadjiev's personality combines Central European culture with profound musical experience. He owes this in part to his home town, the Italian-Slovenian border town of Gorizia, European Capital of Culture 2025. The celebrated pianist and second prize winner of the 2021 International Chopin Competition, who also received the special prize from Krystian Zimerman, will present a French programme to the Bonn audience.

The legendary violinist Midori performs three masterpieces by Franz Schubert with her trio - a concert experience in a class of its own.

With the kind support of the Hermann J. Abs Foundation

German-Spanish pianist Fabián dos Ríos invites you to a highly personal programme developed over seven years – an intimate piano concert full of stirring stories and live readings.

Literature Meets Piano is the opening of a new concert series and celebrates its Bonn premiere in the incomparable, warm acoustics of the Chamber Music Hall.

From his own compositions – inspired by The Little Prince and The Alchemist – to iconic film melodies by Hans Zimmer and Ludovico Einaudi, a mystical soundtrack is created that ranges from delicate melancholy to radiant hope.

The Avin Trio, winner of multiple awards at the German Music Competition 2024, offers interesting insights into the genre of piano trios in the programme 'Alte (Un)bekannte'.

Supported by the German Music Council's concert funding programme German Music Competition and GVL

The Pablo Held Trio has been shaping the European jazz scene for two decades. The trio is known for its intuitive interaction and fearless joy of playing. Their concerts are full of surprises, always in the field of tension between composition and improvisation. Audiences, the specialised press and jazz greats are equally fascinated. In 2026, the trio will celebrate its 20th anniversary with several tours, inviting special guests to play with them. In our concert, it is the wonderful American saxophonist Chris Potter. With his technical brilliance, harmonic sophistication and relentless pursuit of innovation, Potter has earned a reputation as one of the most influential voices in contemporary jazz. His remarkable career spans decades, and his contributions to the art form inspire musicians and listeners alike.

The Beethoven27 project by Jan Caeyers and Kit Armstrong with the moderated performance of 27 key works by Beethoven in 27 European cities will be continued after the Bonn launch last year with a programme focusing on the 'Eroica'.

The versatile violinist Ragnhild Hemsing is deeply connected to the rich folk tradition of her native Norway. She combines elements of Norwegian folk music and classical music in a youthful and fresh way with her Hardanger fiddle.

‘Foreign Masters’: Migrants from all over Europe shaped the incomparably rich music scene of London, the cultural capital of the 18th century. Max Volbers, winner of the 2023 OPUS KLASSIK award for Young Artist of the Year, and Alexander von Heißen, winner of the 2022 Bach Competition, bring a particularly dazzling facet of the music metropolis to life.

Handel from Halle was the most influential English composer, his opera arias were pop on the island. Under Handel's baton, the Italian oboist Sammartini made a name for himself in the orchestra; his compositions were considered original and fiery. Alessandro Scarlatti's ‘Pyrrhus and Demetrius’ was the second most successful opera in the kingdom. Corelli and Alberti, who never set foot on English soil, were made stars by resourceful music publishers in the cosmopolitan city. At the same time, the recorder became fashionable as the ‘gentleman's flute’, the instrument of wealthy amateurs and connoisseurs who performed for guests in private circles. Jacques Paisible/James Pesible, one of the greatest recorder players of the time, also helped his instrument to reach new heights in England.

It was musical migration, then, that gave English music its immensely rich heritage!

Works by George Frideric Handel, Arcangelo Corelli, Giuseppe Sammartini, Giuseppe Alberti, Johann Pepusch and others.

With the kind support of the German Music Council

Das Hermes-Quartett, benannt in Anlehnung an den berühmten Boten aus der griechischen Mythologie, schöpft seine musikalische Kraft aus seiner Rolle als Vermittler zwischen dem Text des Komponisten und der Sensibilität des Publikums. Besonderen Verdienst hat sich das Quartett mit der Wiederentdeckung der Werke der französischen Komponistin Charlotte Sohy erworben.

The duo concert by artist in residence Aaron Pilsan with cellist Alexey Stadler on the occasion of the anniversary of Beethoven's death is not only a meeting of two instruments, but also a lively dialogue between two voices that carry Beethoven's spirit forward.

Conversation concert in collaboration with the Bürger für Beethoven.

The duo concert by artist in residence Aaron Pilsan with cellist Alexey Stadler to mark the anniversary of Beethoven's death is not just an encounter between two instruments, but also a lively dialogue between two voices that carry Beethoven's spirit forward.

Conversation concert in collaboration with the Bürger für Beethoven

'Fairy Tales and Legends' - Artist in Residence Aaron Pilsan opens up a new world of sound with intimate colours and unexpected perspectives in the interplay of piano with oboe and viola and, in the spirit of Beethoven, shows himself to be curious about chamber music, experimental, honest and deeply human.

'Fairy Tales and Legends' - Artist in Residence Aaron Pilsan opens up a new world of sound with intimate colours and unexpected perspectives in the interplay of piano with oboe and viola and, in the spirit of Beethoven, shows himself to be curious about chamber music, experimental, honest and deeply human.

At the age of eight, Kevin Chan won first place in the Canadian music competition and was subsequently named one of the '100 Remarkable Canadians'. Since then, his career has blossomed internationally and he has been widely recognised as a prizewinner at major competitions. In the Chamber Music Hall, he will play on the Steinway grand piano that led him to victory at the Arthur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition in Tel Aviv in 2023.

Some projects are the subject of lengthy artistic deliberations that lead to highly harmonised works. For example, the CD 'Surprise!' which brought French trumpeter Airelle Besson together with two outstanding figures from the young jazz scene on the other side of the Rhine, pianist Sebastian Sternal and drummer Jonas Burgwinkel, was the official birth of a trio that was as unexpected as it was seductive. The special alchemy between the three musicians is masterfully brought out on this first CD. Airelle on trumpet in her own personal style, precise, economical, pure, constantly focussed on the purity of the vocals; Sebastian on piano and Fender Rhodes, putting his fluid movements and the discreet virtuosity of his playing at the service of the overall sound, with a sense of architecture and spatialisation of remarkable clarity and precision; and Jonas on drums, breathing both sustain and breath into the trio, with his art of groove and dotting of rare delicacy.

The South Tyrolean baritone André Schuen is at home on the world's great opera and concert stages. His recordings of the great Schubert song cycles together with Daniel Heide for Deutsche Grammophon have been highly acclaimed internationally. With the song programme 'Träume-Alpträume' he presents himself to the Bonn audience for the first time.

With the kind support of the Hermann J. Abs Foundation