BeethovenFest Bonn
A festival in the city of Beethoven’s birth
The heart of the Bonn Beethovenfest is the music of Ludwig van Beethoven. Here performances by internationally acclaimed artists and ensembles give local, regional, nationwide and worldwide impetus to the preservation of his oeuvre. To the present day the festival has created dramatic interdisciplinary ties to Beethoven’s past, present and future.
Today Beethoven is still considered one of the greatest innovators in music history. The traces he left behind in the city are still visible: his birth house and the Bonn Beethovenfest, held every year in September, bear witness to the 22 years during which he left his mark on Bonn, and vice versa. His musical genius and humanistic convictions were rooted in the enlightened attitudes that prevailed at the court of Elector Maximilian Franz; his love of nature was awakened in Rhine Valley and Bonn’s picturesque countryside. Both these features resound in his music, even in the late works of his Viennese years.
The Bonn Beethovenfest is especially noteworthy for its
Internationality
Beethoven is one of the most frequently performed composers in the world. The Beethovenfest has accepted the challenge of sharpening a distinctive national and worldwide profile.
Relevance
Beethoven was an avant-garde and visionary musician. Both the man and his music were closely entwined with the cultural and political life of his time and have remained relevant to the present day. The Bonn Beethovenfest is committed to revealing these connections.
Innovation
Beethoven was a revolutionary. The Bonn Beethovenfest strikes out on new paths, particularly by introducing experimental and interdisciplinary concert formats, commissioning new works, performing contemporary music and issuing invitations to promising young artists.
Authenticity
The Bonn Beethovenfest is held in the city of Beethoven’s birth. This fact can be seen and experienced throughout the city, especially during the festival.