Rheingau Musik Festival

, founder and director, 23 August 2011 The festival was the initiative of Michael Herrmann, who has served as its artistic director and chief executive officer. Like the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival founded in 1986, the Rheingau festival was intended to add life to a region rich in musical heritage. The gothic church of Kiedrich houses the oldest playable organ in Germany, and has its own "dialect" of Gregorian chant that dates back to 1333. In more recent times, the Rheingau has inspired composers such as Johannes Brahms, who composed his Symphony No. 3 in Wiesbaden and frequently stayed in Rüdesheim, and Richard Wagner, who worked on in Biebrich. To test the festival idea, two concerts took place in Eberbach Abbey in the summer of 1987. In November 1987 the was founded by Michael Herrmann, Tatiana von Metternich-Winneburg, Walter Fink, Hans Otto Jung, Michael Bolenius, Hans-Clemens Lucht, Ulrich Rosin and Claus Wisser. The association organized the festival from the first season in 1988 which included 19 concerts until 1992. It has continued to support the festival since. The RMF receives significant financial help from sponsors who choose to fund their own concerts. The is under the patronage of the minister-president of Hesse. Michael Herrmann was awarded the Goethe-Plakette of Hesse in 2002. The RMF has grown to be one of Germany's important festivals presenting around 140 events every summer with international orchestras, ensembles and soloists. It is a member of the European Festivals Association. For the 2023 season, 164 concerts at 29 locations were announced. On 17 June 2012, the 25th anniversary of the festival was celebrated at the Kurhaus, Wiesbaden. == Locations ==

(2006), venue for concerts of sacred music in the Basilika, chamber music in the Dormitorium and the Laiendormitorium, open-air concerts in the cloister The concerts of the first season took place at , in the hall and church of Schloss Johannisberg, at St. Martin in Lorch (part of the Rhine Gorge World Heritage Site), at the Rheingauer Dom in Geisenheim, and in Wiesbaden at the Marktkirche and the Kurhaus. Important locations have also included Schloss Vollrads, the Abbey St. Hildegard in Eibingen, the churches St. Valentin in Kiedrich, the romanesque Basilika St. Aegidius of Mittelheim and in Wiesbaden-Frauenstein, the of the spa Schlangenbad, the Lutherkirche in Wiesbaden and the Alte Oper in Frankfurt am Main. Concerts have been staged in churches such as St. Jakobus, Rüdesheim, castles and former presshouses (). An annual is held at Schloss Johannisberg while other open-air concerts have taken place in wineries and vineyards, on river boats, in the cloisters of Eberbach, the courts of Vollrads and the . == Program ==

Most events are dedicated to classical music, but cabaret, jazz, readings, musical cruises, children's concerts, wine tastings or culinary events with music add to a diverse program. Opening concert The is traditionally opened in Eberbach Abbey by a concert of the hr-Sinfonieorchester, broadcast live. The first concert was on 23 June 1988 a performance of two works by C. P. E. Bach, his Magnificat and the oratorio Die Israeliten in der Wüste. Frieder Bernius conducted the Kammerchor Stuttgart and the Barockorchester Stuttgart, with soloists Nancy Argenta, Lena Lootens, Mechthild Georg, Howard Crook and Stephen Roberts. A cycle of the symphonies of Gustav Mahler, conducted by Paavo Järvi, continued in 2011 with the Fifth Symphony, programmed with Alban Berg's Sieben frühe Lieder, sung by Elena Garanca. Anniversaries Every year, composers' anniversaries are celebrated. In 2009, six concerts were given each to music by Handel, including Israel in Egypt with the Monteverdi Choir under John Eliot Gardiner; by Haydn, including The Creation conducted by Enoch zu Guttenberg; and by Mendelssohn, including Elijah with the Collegium Vocale Gent under Philippe Herreweghe. In 2010, Robert Schumann and Frédéric Chopin were celebrated in 16 concerts, such as and piano music by Chopin with Daniel Barenboim. Seven concerts were devoted to Mahler and Hugo Wolf, such as . Christian Gerhaher and Gerold Huber performed Mahler's (Seven Songs of Latter Days) and songs from . In 2011 they performed the composer's , and . • 2020 Cancellation Rheingau Musik Festival 2020 • 2021 Khatia Buniatishvili • 2023 Sarah Willis, Daniel Hope, Sol Gabetta (again), Martin Grubinger Closing choral concert The festival usually concludes with a choral concert in Eberbach Abbey, including rarely performed works. In 2005 Frieder Bernius conducted Penderecki's Polish Requiem, Helmuth Rilling conducted '' in 2001 and works entitled Messiah'' by both Sven-David Sandström and Handel in 2009. == Artists ==

and members of the Baroque orchestra Accademia Bizantina in concert at the church of Hallgarten Artists have included Anne-Sophie Mutter, Alfred Brendel, Mstislav Rostropovich, the Alban Berg Quartet, Zubin Mehta, and Riccardo Muti. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau has appeared as a recitator, and Giora Feidman and Bobby McFerrin included their audience in their performance. In 2001, Dave Brubeck and his quartet appeared with the Jacques Loussier Trio. Chick Corea visited in 2009 and jammed with Roy Haynes, whose band had opened the concert. Other artists of 2009 included Colin Davis, Ludwig Güttler, Martha Argerich, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Anne Sofie von Otter and Olga Scheps. Lorin Maazel conducted the Vienna Philharmonic in Bruckner's Symphony No. 3 and Stravinsky's . In 2011, the Thomanerchor sang a concert of mostly motets, including Bach's in Eberbach Abbey, part of the choir's tour in its 800th year. Andreas Scholl, born in the Rheingau, made his debut at the festival in three events, an interview, a trip () to three churches with different concert programs, and an opera recital with his sister Elisabeth in Eberbach Abbey. The Lautten Compagney performed in concert Handel's opera Rinaldo, 300 years after its premiere. The ensemble Le Concert Spirituel, conducted by Hervé Niquet, performed music for up to 40 voices by Alessandro Striggio, together with music of Orazio Benevoli, Francesco Corteccia, Stefano Fabbri and Claudio Monteverdi. Other artists of 2011 included Freddy Cole, Yo-Yo Ma, Mitsuko Uchida, Waltraud Meier, Sabine Meyer, Heinrich Schiff, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Arabella Steinbacher, Daniel Müller-Schott, Xavier de Maistre, Omara Portuondo, Dianne Reeves, Nils Landgren, The King's Singers, the Münchner Philharmoniker with Olli Mustonen and Herbert Blomstedt, and the Windsbacher Knabenchor, among others. In 2013, Andris Nelsons conducted the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra with soloist Sol Gabetta in a program including Elgar's Cello Concerto and Dvořák's Eighth Symphony. In 2014, Maurizio Pollini made his debut at the festival, playing in the Kurhaus Wiesbaden Chopin's Preludes (Op. 28) and Book 1 of Debussy's Preludes. == 25 years in 2012 ==

On 17 June 2012, the 25th season of the festival was celebrated at the , with speeches by Volker Bouffier, Roland Koch and Enoch zu Guttenberg. A concert was played by the and violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, conducted by Paavo Järvi. The 25th season of the festival is celebrated by concerts of "" ("Companions along the way"), artists who have appeared regularly from the beginning, such as the , conducted by Ludwig Güttler, the , conducted by Frieder Bernius who had performed the very first concert of the festival, the piano duo Anthony & Joseph Paratore, the boys choir Windsbacher Knabenchor, percussionist Babette Haag, pianists Ewa Kupiec, Gerhard Oppitz, Justus Frantz, Tzimon Barto, Christoph Eschenbach and Oleg Maisenberg, actor Walter Renneisen, the Gächinger Kantorei and Bach-Collegium Stuttgart with Helmuth Rilling, and Enoch zu Guttenberg with his ensembles. Other themes of the anniversary season were "" (Festive Music), "" (Violin Circle) and "" (Organ Dimensions). The was a sequence of works by Alessandro Melani, performed by and the , conducted by Hermann Max, with soloists Veronika Winter, Franz Vitzthum, Hans Jörg Mammel and Markus Flaig, among others. The music was juxtaposed to Monteverdi's '''', with James Gilchrist. == Rheingau Musik Preis ==

in 2023 In 1994 the festival initiated the that has been awarded annually for musical achievements, to • 1994 Volker David Kirchner, composer • 1995 Alexander L. Ringer, musicologist • 1996 Gidon Kremer, violinist • 1997 ensemble recherche, chamber ensemble for contemporary music • 1998 Toshio Hosokawa, composer • 1999 Tabea Zimmermann, viola player • 2000 Helmuth Rilling, chorale conductor • 2001 Artemis Quartet, string quartet • 2002 , actor, cabarettist, comedian • 2003 Stefan-Peter Greiner, violin maker • 2004 , Society for music in medicine • 2005 Niki Reiser, composer of film music • 2006 Hugh Wolff, conductor • 2007 Windsbacher Knabenchor, boys choir • 2008 Heinz Holliger, oboist and composer • 2009 Christian Gerhaher, baritone • 2019 Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Paavo Järvi • 2020 Daniel Barenboim and West–Eastern Divan Orchestra • 2021 Nils Landgren • 2022 Herbert Blomstedt • 2023 Tenebrae • 2024 Julia Fischer • 2025 Thomas Quasthoff • 2026 Rolando Villazón == Broadcast and recordings ==

Many concerts have been conducted in collaboration with broadcasting stations, namely Hessischer Rundfunk. Selected events were recorded, including: • Beethoven: Sonate f-moll, Schumann: Kreisleriana, Rachmaninoff: Prèludes et Etudes, Andreas Haefliger, 1994 • Canzoni & Concerti of Girolamo Frescobaldi, Claudio Monteverdi, Antonio Vivaldi, George Frideric Handel – Guillemette Laurens, Il Giardino Armonico, 1995 • Tschaikovsky: Manfred Symphony, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Yuri Temirkanov, live in Kurhaus Wiesbaden, 1997 • Dvořák: Biblical Songs op. 99, New World Symphony – Liliana Bizineche-Eisinger, Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester, conductor: Gerd Albrecht, live in Kurhaus Wiesbaden, 1997 • Haydn: The Seasons, Anna Korondi, Markus Schäfer, Dietrich Henschel, Chorgemeinschaft Neubeuern; Orchester der KlangVerwaltung München, Enoch zu Guttenberg, Eberbach Abbey, 30 July 1998 • Charles Gounod: Mors et Vita, Barbara Frittoli, Lidia Tirendi, Zoran Todorovich, Davide Damiani, Budapest Radio Choir, hr-Sinfonieorchester, Marcello Viotti, 4 July 1999, Eberbach Abbey • Carl Orff – Annette Dasch, Gert Henning-Jensen, Zeljko Lucic, Orfeón Donostiarra, hr-Sinfonieorchester, conductor: Hugh Wolff, live in Eberbach Abbey, 2002 • Mahler: Symphony No. 2, Brigitte Geller, Iris Vermillion, Festival Chor und Orchester Stuttgart, Helmuth Rilling, 30 August 2003, Eberbach Abbey • Handel: Messiah, Anna Korondi, Annette Markert, Werner Güra, Sebastian Noack, Cappella Istropolitana, Choir of the Bamberger Symphony, Rolf Beck, Eberbach Abbey, 21 August 2004 • Mozart: Great Mass in C minor, Version of Robert D. Levin, Diana Damrau, Juliane Banse, Lothar Odinius, Markus Marquardt, Gächinger Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Helmuth Rilling, 2006 • Mahler: Symphony No. 3, Waltraud Meier, Limburger Domsingknaben, MDR Rundfunkchor, hr-Sinfonieorchester, Paavo Järvi, Eberbach Abbey, 23 June 2007 • Unergründliches Geheimnis (Enigmatic Secret), Sacred choral music of Brahms, Bruckner, Mendelssohn and Reger, Windsbacher Knabenchor, Marktkirche Wiesbaden, 18 July 2008 • Rheingau Musik Festival 2009, Best of Vol. III, Baiba Skride, Nikolaj Znaider, Alfredo Perl, Xavier de Maistre, Christian Gerhaher, Windsbacher Knabenchor, 2009 == References ==