Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival 2025: Istanbul in the musical focus!

Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival 2025: Istanbul in the musical focus!

On July 5, 2025, there should have been another musical highlight in Schleswig-Holstein: The Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival (SHMF) is starting its 40th round and promises a jam-packed program with over 200 concerts until the end of August. Director Christian Kuhnt highlights the special diversity of music that comes from the music metropolis Istanbul flows to Schleswig-Holstein. In 2025 there will be around 60 concerts dedicated to Turkish culture and folk music, with the celebrated pianist Fazil Say will design 17 projects as a portrait artist.

Christoph Eschenbach, Ray Chen and the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra ceremoniously open the festival, while the congenial pianist Say describes how much Turkish folklore is characterized by its rhythm and versatility. The program is enriched by other musical greats such as the internationally recognized soloists Lang Lang, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Midori and many more.

Diverse programs and innovative projects

A highlight of this year's edition is the interactive project with Omer Meir Wellber, which actively involves the audience. This allows visitors to enjoy a completely new form of musical experience by wearing masks and the movement of the orchestra in the room. Also the band Light in Babylon will cause a lot of excitement with her program “Shalom, Salam, Bariş” as she will perform three times.

Particular attention is also paid to the new venues: These include, among others, the shipyard in Geesthacht and the Theater im Kurhaus in Bad Bramstedt. In total, the festival takes place at 71 venues, including cities such as Kiel and Lübeck.

A rich year for the music scene

This year's festival budget is around 14.5 million euros, with over 1 million euros being funded by the state of Schleswig-Holstein. A thriving festival of this magnitude is a delight for anyone curious who wants to enjoy music from classical to modern genres. The pieces by Fazıl Say, Schumann, Shostakovich and Bruckner in particular are a must for lovers of classical music.

As part of the program, the little ones also receive a platform: through various children's festivals and the “Singstars!” initiative. younger generations are given access to music.

In addition, visitors can expect a large array of orchestras and ensembles, including the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, led by international conductors such as Daniel Barenboim. The SHMF remains an indispensable part of the northern German cultural scene and a meeting place for music fans from all over the world.

Ticket pre-orders for this extraordinary festival begin on February 27, 2025, with telephone reservations available even earlier.

A summer dream that touches the soul - the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival 2025 is ready to conquer the hearts of its visitors with new sounds!