Internationales Bachfest Stuttgart

"Because we love Bach!" - International Bach Festival Stuttgart from March 13 to 28, 2026 From March 13 to 28, 2026, the International Bach Academy Stuttgart invites you to the International Bach Festival Stuttgart - this time under the motto "Because we love Bach!". For two weeks, the music of the great Leipzig Thomaskantor will be the focus of a diverse program that combines tradition and innovation. The Bach Academy's ensembles will be taking part: the Gaechinger Cantorey under the musical direction of Hans-Christoph Rademann and the Junge Stuttgarter Bach Ensemble (JSB). The latter will once again bring together young musicians from all over the world to interpret and explore Bach's works together. They will be complemented by a top-class ensemble of internationally renowned artists - from Vox Luminis to the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, Concerto Copenhagen and Voces Suaves to creative crossover artists such as Patrick Bebelaar & Friends, the jazz duo Peirani & Salque, pianist Tim Allhoff and the Hanke Brothers. The unbroken fascination that Bach continues to exert today is celebrated with 16 days of music. Concerts, chamber music, jazz, dance, hands-on events and lectures open up a variety of approaches to his work. The Bach Festival takes place throughout the city: Liederhalle, Stiftskirche, Neues Schloss, Johanneskirche, HMDK, Landesmuseum, Domkirche St. Eberhard and many other venues become the stage. The audience can look forward to a multifaceted program that offers many opportunities to join in. Highlights include the opening concert "Klangpracht des Dresdner Barock" (13.3.) with the Gaechinger Cantorey under the direction of Hans-Christoph Rademann, the innovative "Bach & Khayyam" with the Ensemble Constantinople (14.3.), the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and Vox Luminis with "Telemann" (16.3.), "Bach to Minimalism" with Le Concert de l'Hostel Dieu (20.3.) and the St. Mark Passion 1726 with Solomon's Knot (25.3.). The festive finale will be the performance of Bach's Mass in B minor with the Gaechinger Cantorey in the Liederhalle on March 28. The birthday celebration for Johann Sebastian Bach on March 21 will also be another special event: entitled "Happy Birthday Bach!", dance meets instrumental music, baroque ensemble meets the art of movement from different eras - a celebration for all Bach lovers.

In the four decades since it was founded in 1981, the International Bach Academy Stuttgart has become an internationally recognized trademark for high-quality music productions and music education. Reformed in 2016 with a baroque orchestra and hand-picked choir, the Gaechinger Cantorey has been conducted by Academy Director Hans-Christoph Rademann since 2013. This one name for both ensembles is based on the holistic musical approach and the sound ideal of the Baroque. At the same time, by adopting a name steeped in tradition, it refers to the successful performance history of the choir founded by Helmuth Rilling in 1954.