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Birthday concert: McGegan celebrates with Vivaldi and Handel in Göttingen!
On May 19, 2025, Göttingen will celebrate Nicholas McGegan's birthday concert with international Handel splendor.
Birthday concert: McGegan celebrates with Vivaldi and Handel in Göttingen!
On June 29, 2025, the international music world celebrated the talented conductor and harpsichordist Nicholas McGegan on the occasion of his 75th birthday. The festive birthday concert took place in the auditorium of the University of Göttingen as part of the International Handel Festival took place, where McGegan's artistic achievements were honored with works by Vivaldi and Handel.
The program featured a wonderful mix of well-known compositions, including Antonio Vivaldi's “La Senna festeggiante” and Handel's Violin Sonata in D major HWV 371. In addition to McGegan, who provided musical direction and played the harpsichord, talented artists such as soprano Arianna Vendittelli and violinists Julia Kuhn and Gabriella Jones contributed to the festive atmosphere. A unique experience that not only thrilled the audience, but also demonstrated the musicality and close community of the festival artists.
The Handel Festival 2023 and its significance
The Handel Festival in Göttingen is a cultural highlight, and the theme of the 2023 festival was “Laurels”. Not only was fame and honor celebrated, but its dark side was also discussed. The Italian director Rosetta Cucchi staged the festival opera “Tamerlano”, which was a great success and received a standing ovation. The musical direction was in the hands of George Petrou, who let the final chorus end particularly emphatically without orchestral accompaniment, which was impressive New music newspaper was recognized as a “musical great hour”.
But the opening oratorio “Solomon”, in which Lena Sutor-Wernich took on the title role, also caused euphoric reactions. The gala concert with Ann Hallenberg offered the listeners “exhilarating musical moments,” as the Göttinger Tageblatt reported. Another highlight was the recording of the festival opera “Tamerlano”, which will be shown on September 5, 2025 as an open-air cinema in the outdoor pool on Brauweg.
A look into the future of the festival
The anticipation of that next International Handel Festival Göttingen is already noticeable, which will take place from May 14th to 25th, 2026. Public pre-sales begin on November 28, 2025. Not only do these festivals have a rich history, but they also demonstrate how vibrant and engaging early music is, especially through intimate concert formats that speak directly to listeners.
The upcoming festival promises a diverse program that is in a creative dialogue between tradition and innovation. The Handel Festival in Halle under the motto “Fresh Wind: Young Handel in Italy” shows how important Handel's time in Italy was for his work.
The musical landscape is vibrant and a must for all music lovers. In Göttingen and Halle it is clear that the world of classical music is still in full swing - a true celebration time for all those who are passionate about music.