Kronberg Festival
“Courage!” – The Kronberg Festival 2026 invites audiences to the Casals Forum from 22 September to 4 October and poses a question that speaks to us all: Where do we find the courage to follow our inner voice?
Across some 30 concerts, music becomes a source of strength – telling stories of new beginnings and resistance, of hope, humanity and the boldness to forge new paths. Inspired by Pablo Casals, whose 150th birthday will be celebrated in 2026, the festival unfolds as an experience that touches, awakens and connects.
International artists, outstanding ensembles and young talents come together in this celebration of music to reveal just how much courage music can hold – and how deeply art can encourage us to act with conviction in our own lives.
Concert
AN DIE MUSIK
Participants
- Janine Jansen violin
- Pauline van der Rest violin
- Noga Shaham viola
- Daniel Blendulf cello
- Torleif Thedéen cello
Programme
Anton Arensky (1861–1906)
Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 35
Jeffrey Ching (*1965)
“An die Musik” (commissioned by Kronberg Academy for the 80th anniversary of UNESCO)
Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
String Quintet in C major, Op. posth. 163, D 956
Programme subject to change
STEGREIF freeEROICA
Participants
- Stegreif – The Improvising Symphony Orchestra
Programme
With freeEroica, Stegreif transforms Beethoven’s Third Symphony into a thrilling journey through revolutions and new beginnings.
Without sheet music, conductor, or chairs — but with improvisation, recomposition, and ever-changing formations throughout the space — the Eroica becomes a surprisingly new experience.
Subject to change
HARMONIC JOURNEYS
Participants
- Jerusalem Quartet
Programme
Wolfgang A. Mozart (1756–1791)
String Quartet No. 17 in B-flat major, K. 458 “The Hunt”
Béla Bartók (1881–1945)
String Quartet No. 6, Sz. 114
Maurice Ravel (1875–1937)
String Quartet in F major
Subject to change
FROM ISTANBUL WITH LOVE
Participants
- Fazil Say piano
- Les Essences
- Önder Baloglu conducting & violin
Programme
Önder Baloglu (*1975)
İstanbul Sarmanı (The Golden Tomcat of Istanbul)
Wolfgang A. Mozart (1756–1791)
Concerto No. 12 in A major, K. 414
Johann Strauss II (1825–1899)
Intermezzo from “A Thousand and One Nights”, Op. 346
Fazil Say (*1970)
Chamber Symphony, Op. 62
Subject to change
BAROCK GALA CELLO STRAVAGANZA
Participants
- Kronberg Young Soloists
- Reinhard Goebel conducting & moderation
Programme
Giovanni Mossi (1680–1742)
Concerto No. 12 in G minor, Op. 4
Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741)
Concerto in B-flat major, RV 531 and Concerto in D major, RV 564
Giuseppe Valentini (1681–1753)
Concerto grosso No. 11 in A minor, Op. 7
Carl Philipp E. Bach (1714–1788)
Concerto in B-flat major, Wq. 171
Johann Gottfried Müthel (1728–1788)
Concerto in E-flat major
Subject to change
