Accompanying programme
Courage comes from the heart. At the Kronberg Festival, it is meant to be awakened: audible, visible and tangible in music, in encounters — and in action. The accompanying programme invites visitors to take away „Mut-Impulse“.
READING
Lionheart – Tell Me About Courage
Actor Michael Rotschopf reads about courage that comes from the heart: an inspiring encounter with fear, trust, and the quiet strength to grow beyond oneself – with an open heart and a true lionheart.
Tuesday, 29 September 2026, 4:00–5:00 p.m.
Casals Forum, Grand Hall
TICKETS €10
Young people aged 27 and under receive free admission
Panel Discussion
“Casourage” – A Conversation About Courage and Pablo Casals
To this day, cellist Pablo Casals stands for artistic integrity, moral conviction, and civil courage.
How important is civil courage, also for artists? Sir András Schiff reflects on this question with publicist Paul Lendvai and the young Kronberg Academy soloists
Cosima Soulez Larivière
Charlotte Miles
Moderation: Maximilian Maier
Friday, 2 October 2026, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 noon
Casals Forum, Carl Bechstein Hall
TICKETS Free admission
Please book your free ticket in advance.
Exhibition
Pablo Casals on the Occasion of His 150th Birthday
Encounter Pablo Casals – as an artist and as a person: The exhibition sheds light on biographical milestones as well as on the inner convictions of a musician whose influence extended far beyond his instrument. Personal insights – and even something he once held in his hands.
Tuesday, 22 September 2026 – Sunday, 4 October 2026
Casals Forum, Crespo Foyer
The exhibition is open one hour before and after concerts in the Grand Hall.
FREE ADMISSION
Workshop
“On Stage, Get Set, Courage!”
Stage fright? It’s part of the process – no reason to panic! In this workshop, Andreas Burzik – psychologist and violinist – shows participants in the Cello Masterclasses how to deal with a disruptive “too much” of excitement on stage.
Andreas Burzik, lecturer, psychologist & violinist
Friday, 25 September 2026, 2:30–4:15 p.m.
Casals Forum, Carl Bechstein Hall
Please book your free ticket in advance.
The workshop will be held in English and is open to participants in the Cello Masterclasses as well as interested visitors.
Improvisation Workshop & Challenge
A Test of Courage: Who Am I Without Sheet Music?
Step out of your comfort zone! Duo BartolomeyBittmann invites participants to take part in a “courage test”: participants in the Cello Masterclasses will take to the stage to master unexpected tasks.
Duo BartolomeyBittmann
Saturday, 26 September 2026, 5:00–6:00 p.m.
Casals Forum, Carl Bechstein Hall
The event will be held in English and is open to participants in the Cello Masterclasses as well as interested visitors.
Workshop
“Biathlon Challenge – Step by Step into Courage”
Courage matters on stage just as much as it does in elite sport: Participants in the Cello Masterclasses will learn how courage, mental strength, and perseverance can be trained – and how they can be applied purposefully in everyday artistic life. The connection between sport and music opens up new perspectives on inner strength and stage presence.
Prof. Dr. Jana Leidenfrost, psychologist and former GDR ski champion
Monday, 28 September 2026, 5:30–7:00 p.m.
Casals Forum, Carl Bechstein Hall
Please book your free ticket in advance.
The workshop will be held in English and is open to participants in the Cello Masterclasses as well as interested visitors.
Lecture
Joseph Haydn’s Cello Concertos
The exact programme will be announced at a later date.
Lecture by Dr Norbert Gertsch – Henle Verlag
Tuesday, 29 September 2026, 2:30–3:30 p.m.
Stadthalle Kronberg, Feldbergsaal
Please book your free ticket in advance.
The lecture will be held in English.
Lecture
Response, Volume, and Tone Colour of My Instrument – How Can I Optimise Them?
Dr.-Ing. Thomas Zwieg, Head of Development at the string manufacturer Larsen Strings A/S, offers insights into how instrument, strings, bow, and bowing technique interact – and what players themselves can do to influence the response, articulation, volume, and tone colour of their string instrument.
Dr.-Ing. Thomas Zwieg
Wednesday, 30 September 2026, 2:30–3:30 p.m.
Stadthalle Kronberg, Feldbergsaal
Please book your free ticket in advance.
The lecture will be held in English and is open to participants in the Cello Masterclasses as well as interested visitors.
VIOLIN MAKERS & BOW MAKERS – A glimpse into THE WORKSHOP
As part of this year’s Kronberg Festival, bow makers Daniel Schmidt and Jochen Schmidt and violin maker Dominik Wlk will once again open their new ateliers at the Receptur to visitors.
You are warmly invited to gain a rare insight into the making and maintenance of string instruments and bows. Conversations, encounters, and direct observation reveal what is usually hidden from view.
Visit the new string instrument ateliers at the Receptur in Kronberg and experience craftsmanship as part of chamber music.
Daily, 22. September – 4. October, 10:00–18:00, Admission free
Receptur Kronberg
Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 6
61476 Kronberg