By Rheingau Musik Festival
Stiftung Rheingau Musik Festival
It’s the wine and its magnificent scenery in the heart of Germany that have made the Rheingau so famous the whole world over. Here, where the Riesling vines thrive, music has found its most captivating summer residence, and with it the world-famous stars and young talents from classical music, jazz, world music and cabaret. Within just 30 years, the Rheingau and its festival have coalesced in a unique symbiosis of culture and natural beauty, music, enjoyment and zest for living. It’s due not least to its homeland that the Rheingau Music Festival has become one of Europe’s premier cultural institutions.
Beginnings of the Festival
Since 1987, the Rheingau Music Festival has been attracting delighted audiences to the region between Frankfurt, Wiesbaden and Lorch.
Founder of the Festival
Michael Herrmann was born in Wiesbaden in 1944. Convinced of the unique opportunities and stunning venues offered by his home region, he launched the Rheingau Music Festival in 1987.
Programme 1988 (1988) by Rheingau Musik FestivalRheingau Musik Festival
Its first season kicked off in 1988, with 19 events at a total of five different venues. The huge success that the festival achieved right from the start meant rapid expansion.
The original 19 concerts became 50, then 100 or more. Nowadays, every summer the Rheingau Music Festival’s programme features almost 150 concerts at more than 40 different venues.
The broad spectrum of the concert programme focuses primarily on classical music, but also extends to jazz and cabaret. The artistic excellence of all concerts is the salient feature they all share.
The Festival and its locations
The geography of the Rheingau forms the basis for a unique landscape, which over the course of time has been developed, shaped and turned into a valuable cultural landscape. Classical music is the main focus area of the Rheingau Musik Festival besides jazz, world music and music cabaret.
Rheingau VIV (September 2013) by Rheingau Musik FestivalRheingau Musik Festival
Location of the Festival
The Rheingau - the crown jewel among the German wine-tourism regions and the entrance gate to the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley.
View on Vollrads palace from above (July 2016) by Rheingau Musik FestivalRheingau Musik Festival
View over Vollrads palace
In summer, when the Rheingau and the Rhine-Main
region unveil their splendour in all its true magnificence, music magically materialises between the Rhine and the vines.
The Baroque palace of Vollrads constitutes what is perhaps the Rheingau’s most aesthetically pleasing estate and is a a stage predestined for summertime concerts in the open air.
The traditional castle party brings popular musicians to Vollrads.
The crowd enjoys wonderful summer evenings.
Ever since it began, the most imposing backdrop, not only for major choral works, but also for instrumental and vocal masterpieces from the Baroque era, has been the Basilica of Eberbach Monastery.
South-American Night 2016 (July 2016) by Rheingau Musik FestivalRheingau Musik Festival
A monastery’s cloisters are a covered walk surrounding an interior garden. It is this special “paradisical” ambience, too, that year after year enchants concert-goers with its sublime atmosphere.
Missa solemnis 2016 (June 2016) by Rheingau Musik FestivalRheingau Musik Festival
Founded in 1136, the spacious buildings, with their Romanesque and Early Gothic interiors, rank among the most remarkable surviving monuments of mediaeval monastery architecture in Europe.
Music stand in the Basilica (June 2015) by Rheingau Musik FestivalRheingau Musik Festival
View from the stage.
Eberbach open air concerts are unique
Chamber music ensemble on the unique open air stage.
Summer party 2017 from above (July 2017) by Rheingau Musik FestivalRheingau Musik Festival
The history of viticulture on the climatically favoured Johannisberg hill is studded with superlatives: the first grape harvest here that’s mentioned in the records dates from 817.
Johannisberg castle from below (July 2015) by Rheingau Musik FestivalRheingau Musik Festival
Every year, the Prince-von-Metternich Hall at Johannisberg Palace resounds to the strains of exquisite chamber music.
The palace’s elevated location on the summit of the vineyard-girdled hill high above the Rhine valley had long ago inspired Heine and Goethe to paeans of praise.
With its capacity of approximately 600 seats, each member of the audience is nonetheless guaranteed the close proximity that chamber’s music’s intimate nature demands.
Summer party 2017 at Johannisberg castle (July 2017) by Rheingau Musik FestivalRheingau Musik Festival
The Cuveehof of Schloss Johannisberg is transformed into an open air venue for over 2.000 guests.
Trio at Schloss Johannisberg.
Concerts for children are a very important facette of the festival.
Friedrich von Thiersch Hall (September 2015) by Rheingau Musik FestivalRheingau Musik Festival
Unique! Nothing could be more apposite than this superlative when it comes to describing the Friedrich-von-Thiersch Hall in Wiesbaden’s Assembly Rooms.
In our opinion, this is one of the most beautiful concert halls.
Friedrich von Thiersch Hall (August 2013) by Rheingau Musik FestivalRheingau Musik Festival
In 2004, Lang Lang played on this stage.
But not only orchestras perform in Wiesbaden.
Berliner Philharmoniker with Yannick Néset-Séguin (June 2016) by Rheingau Musik FestivalRheingau Musik Festival
Standing ovations after a fulminant concert evening.
Top stars of the classical music world perform at the Rheingau Musik Festival
Further festival formats
The Rheingau Musik Festival uses over 40 venues for the 160 concerts yearly like wineries, churches and even vineyard locations.
Steinberger Table (July 2016) by Rheingau Musik FestivalRheingau Musik Festival
One of our highlights: The Steinberger Tafelrunde is a 1km long table in the middle of vineyards. It offers music, wine and food for 1300 guests.
The abbey of Eibingen is world famous due to Hildegard von Bingen.
The Thomaner Choir Leipzig at the Lutherkirche in Wiesbaden (July 2015) by Rheingau Musik FestivalRheingau Musik Festival
Local churches are used for spiritual music.
Winery Robert Weil, Kiedrich (July 2014) by Rheingau Musik FestivalRheingau Musik Festival
World famous wineries are transformed into concert stages.
Special formats are presented.
The Cuban European Youth Academy was co-founded by the Rheingau Musik Festival.
Rheingau Musik Festival
