Our inspiring festival season continues with two autumn events. On October 2nd, the STEGREIF.orchester can be experienced at the Schillerhöhe Marbach with its project »#bfree«, from 3 to 10 October, the installation »Voices from Belarus« can be experienced at the Kunstzentrum Karlskaserne and the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch brings the legendary choreography »Kontakthof« to Ludwigsburg on October 7th and 9th. Tickets are available now!

Since the rigged presidential elections in August 2020, Belarus has been in a state of emergency. The regime has reacted with unrestrained use of force to peaceful protests in which countrymen demand fair elections, but also many other basic rights that have been restricted for years. Among the protesters are the sisters' Maria Kalesnikava and Tatsiana Khomich. Jochen Sandig met the latter for an interview this year.

In the new series of talks by and with Elisa Erkelenz and David-Maria Gramse, unusual connections of classical music with philosophy, science, (martial) arts and pop are brought to light and thus »the pudel's core« of that genre is explored from a variety of perspectives. The podcast is released on the first of every month and is also available on our Digital Stage.

The year 2021 was still strongly marked by the effects of Corona, but also by digital, hybrid and, last but not least, numerous live events. Unlike last year, we were able to enjoy the entire festival period from 6 May to 11 July with a total of 33 events! We are grateful and happy and look back on the last weeks.

Unfortunately, Javier Perianes had to cancel his participation in the original concert evening »Zimmermann Perianes Cantilena« at short notice due to illness. For this reason, Tabea Zimmermann has decided to perform an extraordinary solo programme on Thursday, 8 July at 6 pm and 9 pm respectively with the new title »Tabea Zimmermann Solo«.

Over the course of a month, nine young people between the ages of 20 and 30 came together for six online workshops lasting several hours and dealt intensively with diverse gender identities and perceptions through writing tasks, movement sequences and free exchange. From 2 July, a filmic insight into the work on the digital stage can be seen.

On the occasion of the 'Schlosserlebnistag', the Ludwigsburger Festival will deal with the topic of women. Kaan Bulak – composer, pianist and producer – who is presenting his commissioned composition »Transtemporal« this season will report on the composer Kassia for this occasion. Her hymns are the oldest documents that have come down to us from a female composer and also find their way into Bulak’s new composition.

In the film »Saz - The Key of Trust«, the instrumentalist Petra Nachtmanova follows the traces of the saz. Hardly represented in books, the history of this Persian or Ottoman-Turkish instrument is a mystery. At the »Saz Musik Fest« on 18 June, she will present her journey from Bosnia to Iran, recorded on film, and will play songs from there together with guests.

The varied programme of this year’s Festival features a remarkable overlap: Gustav Mahler’s »Urlicht« – performed in the song recital »Anna Lucia Richter« as well as in the concert »Liebes Traum Gestalten«. Full of anticipation for the pre-recorded choral project with Yuval Weinberg and the SWR Vokalensemble, we would like to take a closer look at the Lied.

Originally scheduled for 11 May 2020, the Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung is now bringing the award ceremony for Tabea Zimmermann forward. On 15 June, her more than 30 years of work will be honoured. She will use the prize money to establish a new foundation. We congratulate the prize-winner, who will also be a guest in Ludwigsburg on 8 July!

In the spirit of a »Festival of the Arts, Democracy and Sustainability« and also in the spirit of Joseph Beuys' proclamation »Everyone is an artist«, all Ludwigsburg residents are invited to join in. In this special year of distance, cohesion and the 100th anniversary of Beuys' birth, the Ludwigsburg Festival and Brad Hwang jointly recall the transformative power of social sculpture.

Here you can find current impressions of his work at the Kunstzentrum Karlskaserne.

On World Environment Day, we, the Ludwigsburg Festival, would like to report on our own contribution to a climate-neutral and sustainable cultural landscape in the narrow sense and to the implementation of the 17 goals in the broad sense. It is very important to us to keep an eye on the effects of our institutional actions, to check them and to constantly improve them. 

With a revival of the »Pixelsinfonie« and the ARTE event »Europa feiert Beethoven« the Ludwigsburg Festival starts the month of June with a Beethoven Weekend. On World Environment Day the video installation by Michael Rauter based on the »Pastorale« reminds us of the relationship between humans and nature in 32 individual films. In the performance of all symphonies from nine European countries, the channel ARTE will take up Beethoven’s message of international understanding on Sunday.

With a short film and a detailed discussion with the artists, the Ludwigsburg Festival will prepare the audience for the production of »The Day WTC«, which will be performed live in 2022. This will not only provide an insight into the work, but also into the personalities of the actors.

The Ludwigsburg Festival is getting the 2021 season rolling digitally with new momentum and presenting the »Fest Spiel Ouvertüre« with Oksana Lyniv, Anna Larsson, Christian Elsner and the Festspielorchester. In cooperation with ARTE Concert, the opening concert on 6 May at 8 pm was broadcast as a livestream and is now available on-demand on our Digital Stage until the beginning of November. We look forward to your virtual visit!

The STEGREIF.orchestra invites you to an exciting new new format: In the digital 360° audiowalk you can follow individually routes to listen to Mozart’s musical and political diversity. For this you need a smartphone, headphones and sturdy shoes. From May 28 the project is available on the Digital Stage.

In a new scenic film project, the »Human Requiem« becomes an examination of the current consequences of Corona. Directed by Jochen Sandig and musically conducted by Gijs Leenaars, the Rundfunkchor Berlin offers hope and comfort in difficult times with Brahms' »Ein deutsches Requiem«. 

The Ludwigsburg Festival is launching the 2021 season with new momentum digitally. After the prelude with the »Fest Spiel Overtüre«, we now continue with a project by the STEGREIF.orchester: #bfree. Starting on 8 May on the digital stage. We look forward to your virtual visit!

Idolized by musicians, misused in dictatorships, re-adapted as the European anthem – Beethoven’s 9th symphony mirrors the society and shows the dimensions of human behaviour. On Europe Day, we want to take a closer look at the work and its politicized performance history in more detail.

Mahler’s “Song of the Earth” gave new meaning to the poetry of Hans Bethge. Likewise, the photographs of J Henry Fair also open up a new dimension. With “Das Lied von der Erde for the 21st Century “ the photographer and environmental activist makes a clear statement: The earth is in danger!

For almost 40 years, Jean-Georges Noverre's birthday on 29 April has been the occasion for the International Dance Day, which celebrates dance in all its forms and its unifying power. Newly appointed ambassadors from all over the world stand for its global and transnational significance. Now we do not have to think far geographically, because in 2021 the Stuttgart ballet dancer Friedemann Vogel will be the ambassador. Dance is universal, dance is important - also at the Ludwigsburg Festival.

April 16 brings 16 new releases: The media »Dying Swans Project« by Gauthier Dance comprises 16 solo choreographies, each with a different signature. The stage version of this project will take place during this year's Ludwigsburg Festival. Visit our Digital Stage and enjoy these digital masterpieces!

Originally Edivaldo Ernesto was going to give an insight into his »Depth Movement« technique at the Tanz- und and Theaterwerkstatt Ludwigsburg in May. Due to Corona, his workshop cannot take place as planned. We are looking for an alternative date.

Einstürzende Neubauten have cancelled their »The Year of the Rat Tour« for 2021. The concert planned for May 16, 2021 in Ludwigsburg has been postponed to July 9, 2022.

In the short program of last year's Ludwigsburg Festival, the performance of the Mandelring Quartet with Dmitri Shostakovich's String Quartets Nos. 1, 8 and 15 was a particular highlight. On 8 March 2021, the concert recording will be broadcast by SWR 2. Perfectly the Mandelring Quartet presents Shostakovich's incomparable art between lyrical pain, pointed sharpness and smug grotesqueness.

The founder of contemporary »African Dance« has been committed for decades to the deepening and spreading of African Dance. Since the 1960s, Germaine Acogny has been realizing and manifesting her vision, enriching the african - and eventually the international - dance world as a dancer, teacher and mentor. The Biennale Danza Festival now honours her life's work with the Golden Lion. In anticipation of this year's »Sacre« project, we congratulate her!

Although culture can also provide comfort in lockdown's dark times, there is little evidence of this in Germany at present. But art is education, there is humanity in art, for some people art is perhaps even a substitute religion. Particularly in times when Western democracies are in crisis, when many people have lost confidence, have become fact-resistant, or are conducting discussions with aggression instead of arguments, it can point to a better way.

With »I can't breathe«, the dancer touched not only the visitors of the Ludwigsburg Festival. His renewed performance at the Romaeuropa Festival in September also convinced the jury of the Italian Danza&Danza Awards. We congratulate Edivaldo Ernesto for the award as best dancer 2020!

With the aim of contributing to an open and sustainable society oriented towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the Ludwigsburg Festival 2020 set off into a new decade. The fact that social cohesion can also be created virtually is also demonstrated by Alondra de la Parra with her project »The Impossible Orchestra«.

The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were also launched by former German President Horst Köhler, among others. He and his wife Eva Luise Köhler are the patrons of the Ludwigsburg Festival for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Horst Köhler has shared his thoughts on this in a foreword.