Magical start: Blomstedt impresses at the festival anniversary in Wismar!

Magical start: Blomstedt impresses at the festival anniversary in Wismar!

The Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Festival celebrated its 35th anniversary on June 13, 2025 in the sold-out Georgenkirche Wismar with a brilliant opening concert. A highlight of the evening was the 98-year-old conductor Herbert Blomstedt, who led the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra to the sonic heights of Beethoven's 2nd Symphony. The atmosphere was magical, and concertgoers described the performance as historic and full of magic, a true feast for the senses. Matthias von Hülsen, the founder of the festival, was more than satisfied with the impressive development of this cultural highlight.

Blomstedt, who is considered the oldest active conductor of international stature, has had a long and impressive career. Born in 1927 in Springfield, Massachusetts, to Swedish parents, he studied conducting and has worked with many famous orchestras around the world. His previous places of work include the Hamburg NDR Orchestra, while he also conducted the most famous orchestras in the world, including the Vienna Philharmonic. In addition to the concert in Wismar, he was recently given a great honor on his 90th birthday in the sold-out Neubrandenburg Concert Church with Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 5.

Diverse program items

Director Ursula Haselböck announced a wealth of events for the entire duration of the festival. These offer music lovers a rich buffet of music events - often two concerts per day. Among the talents that will fill this year's festival summer is cellist Anastasia Kobekina, who will be present with over 20 concerts. Another highlight will be the Quator Ebene ensemble, which will perform in Parchim.

A look at the family offerings shows that younger visitors also get their money's worth. A children's and family festival is taking place at Hasenwinkel Castle, while a jazz concert with Afra Kane and her combo is on the program at the new venue “Mecki” in Hagenow. The festival runs until September 14, 2025 and promises to be a true feast for the senses.

The premiere of a setting of the “Song of Love” by three students from the Rostock University of Music and Theater, performed by the local chamber choir, was another special moment of the evening. Soprano Regula Mühlemann captivated the audience with her performance of a Bach cantata and made the evening even more unforgettable. With all these magical moments, the festival has already left a lasting impression.

The creation and long-term commitment of the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Festival clearly show that the cultural life of the region has a permanent place here and will continue to be highly valued in the future. Visitors should not miss the many offers and embark on a musical journey full of surprises and emotions.

Overall, this year's festival is already making a promising impression, and it remains exciting to see what highlights the coming weeks will have in store.

For further information about the festival, you can read the detailed reporting on NDR, Welt or Herbert Blomstedt's profile on Wikipedia.

Read more on NDR, World or learn about the extraordinary career of Herbert Blomstedt.