My dear swan! – No other line from Richard Wagner’s “Lohengrin” sums up the diverse programme of the Neuschwanstein Concerts 2025 better than this one.
The inner courtyard of Neuschwanstein Castle is once again be transformed into a world-class sound cosmos. The five exclusive open-air concerts in front of the breathtakingly illuminated dream backdrop are a true summit meeting of the classical music scene. World-class artists present unmistakable arias and works from the Romantic and modern eras, which merge with musical flair and artistic finesse to create a unique overall composition.
The Sound of Neuschwanstein” tells the story of a place that, like no other, embodies the fusion of art, architecture, and vision. King Ludwig II once had Neuschwanstein Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built as a resonant stage for Richard Wagner’s music – a place where his longing for an ideal world was to be fulfilled. Yet this dream remained unfulfilled. After decades of silence, Neuschwanstein is being rediscovered today as an extraordinary open-air concert venue. The film chronicles the revival of the Neuschwanstein Concerts while also tracing their origins back to King Ludwig II, his passion for music, and his radical vision of art. Through striking imagery, international soloists, and behind-the-scenes glimpses, a multifaceted portrait emerges: of a king caught between reality and fantasy, of a castle straddling myth and the present, and of artists who are bringing this place to life with new sounds today. In this way, Neuschwanstein itself becomes a stage – and a centuries-old dream finally comes to life.
Amy Macdonald is a British singer-songwriter. After her breakthrough in 2007 with This Is the Life, she reached the top of several European charts with her first four albums. In April 2025, Macdonald announced the release of her sixth studio album Is This What You’ve Been Waiting For? and a European tour for July. The title track of the same name was already released in April.
In this intimate staging of Bellini’s masterpiece opera, Asmik Grigorian’s highly anticipated debut as Norma is “one of the best things to happen to Vienna’s opera stages in a long time” (FAZ). Set in a dictatorship of the 20th century, Grigorian’s Norma is the forewoman of a clay foundry. Vasily Barkhatov’s “convincingly concentrated, intimate staging” (Kronenzeitung) underscores the drama of the love triangle between the three central characters. Grigorian masters the notoriously difficult role with bravura: “Grigorian is a true Callas successor because every gesture and facial expression merges with her musical expression” (Kleine Zeitung). In Aigul Akhmetshina as Adalgisa, “she found a counterpart who has one of the richest mezzo voices of our time” (Die Presse). Freddie De Tommaso as Pollione completes the three-way conflict with his “clean and beautifully sounding” tenor (Oper News). Rounding out the evening musically are the “magnificent in every respect” Arnold Schoenberg Chor (Salzburger Nachrichten). “All in all, a breathtakingly thrilling evening with a perfect interlocking of stage and pit” (Van Magazin).
One of the world’s most sought-after opera directors, Stefan Herheim, has begun an intense rehearsal period at the MusikTheater an der Wien, where he will shed new light on Johann Strauss II’s classic operetta “Die Fledermaus”. We get unique access to the process behind one of his most ambitious and controversial interpretations, set in Nazi-occupied Vienna in 1938. With the cameras up close, artistic breakthroughs, creative triumphs and moments of deep doubt are revealed. The ensemble is challenged, and expectations are sky-high. The question is as simple as it is dramatic: Will Herheim’s new “Fledermaus” end up as a success… or a scandal?
Experience an extraordinary evening with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, featuring the world premiere of Malek Jandali’s Syrian Symphony. This powerful, deeply moving work celebrates the resilience and spirit of the Syrian people. Composed during a turbulent chapter in modern Syrian history, the symphony weaves themes of revolution and hope, with sweeping melodies and intricate orchestration that capture both the struggles and triumphs of a nation. PROGRAM Jandali: Symphony No. 1 “Syrian Symphony”
Experience the enchanting fusion of classical music and traditional Japanese culture as acclaimed Italian pianist Filippo Gorini performs a captivating recital featuring works by Franz Schubert at the serene Hokokuji Temple. Filippo Gorini, a rising star in the classical music world, has been captivating audiences worldwide since winning the First Prize and Audience Prize at the Telekom-Beethoven Competition in Bonn in 2015. PROGRAM Kurtag: A Ligatura for Màrta; Schubert: Sonata No. 21; Bach/Petri: Schafe können sicher weiden, BWV 208, No. 9
Experience an extraordinary evening of piano artistry as acclaimed pianist Kirill Gerstein appears with his brilliant protégé Mao Fujita at the Ark Hall, Tokorozawa Civic Cultural Centre. This special concert offers a rare glimpse into the powerful artistic bond between master and student. A recipient of the Gilmore Artist Award and professor at Berlin’s Hanns Eisler Hochschule, Gerstein is internationally celebrated for his imaginative interpretations and distinctive blend of classical and jazz influences. Mao Fujita, silver medalist at the 2019 Tchaikovsky Competition, has rapidly emerged as one of the most compelling pianists of his generation. Schubert: Variations Op. 46; Schumann: Andante and Variations Op. 46; Ravel: La Valse; Busoni: Duettino concertante based on Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 19; Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances Op. 45; Debussy: Lindaraja; Rachmaninoff: Waltz for 4 Hands Op.11, No.4
On the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, known as Liberation Day in Germany, conductor Lahav Shani unites musicians from the Israel Philharmonic and the Münchner Philharmoniker for “a highly emotional performance” (Münchner Merkur) in the Isarphilharmonie. The two orchestras start their first ever collaboration with the deeply moving Prayer, a piece by 97-yearold Israeli composer Tzvi Avni, who travelled to Munich to witness this historic occasion. Then, the musicians come together to shape Mahler’s monumental Sixth Symphony. Shani’s Mahler is “robust, dark, rough, seeking depth” and manages to “achieve the ultimate in tragic expression here – horror and emotion give way to catharsis, to spiritual cleansing” (Süddeutsche Zeitung). PROGRAM: Avni: Prayer; Mahler: Symphony No. 6
For 25 years, the Odeonsplatz Concert has been an open-air highlight of the classical music summer, attracting over 16,000 viewers each year. In balmy summer temperatures, the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, led by its designated chief conductor Lahav Shani, delivered a radiant performance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with star soloist Lisa Batiashvili, whose interpretation held the audience spellbound. The evening culminated in a powerful rendition of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, filling the stage with sweeping orchestral colour. “Powerful and magical” (Münchner Merkur) PROGRAM Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D major; Massenet: Meditation from Thaïs; Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances, Op. 45; Dvorak : Slavonic Dance, Op. 46, No. 8
