BERLINER FESTIVAL ALTER MUSIK 2026: "Fascination Renaissance"

From 26 to 29 November 2026, the BERLINER FESTIVAL ALTER MUSIK makes its debut under the motto “Fascination Renaissance.” At Villa Elisabeth, St. Elisabeth-Kirche, Sophienkirche, St. Matthäus-Kirche, and the Kunstgewerbemuseum, Berlin-based and international ensembles unveil the diverse soundscapes of an era whose ideas still resonate today. For four days, Berlin-Mitte becomes the setting for a world in which music, art and science converge – and the Renaissance is experienced not as a distant past, but as a living invitation to wonder and discover new horizons between science, art, and social change.

The Renaissance marks a turning point in European history: the transition from the authority of inherited certainties towards free inquiry, critical thinking, and the conviction that humankind can understand the world through observation, reason, and curiosity. This new worldview finds perhaps its most famous expression in Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. Inspired by the writings of the Roman architect Vitruvius, Leonardo placed the human figure at the centre of a circle and a square – between the earthly and the divine. What stands at the center is not humankind as ruler of the world, but the human capacity to perceive, explore, and comprehend it. Almost simultaneously, Nicolaus Copernicus transformed humanity’s perspective once again. According to his discoveries, the earth does not occupy the center of the universe, but revolves around the sun. The order of the universe was not only scientifically provable, but also relevant for collective human understanding.

This spirit of individual inquiry and greater understanding is reflected in the music of the Renaissance. Its intricate polyphony unites individual freedom and collective order in a compelling way. Each voice follows its own path, possesses its own identity and logic, and yet together the voices weave a colorful tapestry of remarkable beauty and complexity. Renaissance music thus becomes a metaphor for a vibrant society: The whole depends upon the strength of its individual voices, while each voice finds its fullest meaning only in dialogue with the others. Understanding arises where voices listen and respond to one another. Where they fall silent, the whole loses depth. In an age of increasing social complexity, this musical way of thinking feels strikingly contemporary. Creativity, specialization, and individual perspectives gain value through their ability to connect with others.

The festival programme leads audiences through the diversity of the Renaissance and its reverberations. It begins with nature-inspired music and modern analogue synthesisers by Alexander Bonus, leading into Italian-inspired madrigals by Johann Hermann Schein with the Titans Rising Ensemble. 

Further highlights include Venetian frottole amid glass masterpieces in a guided tour by Dr Claudia Kanowski at the Kunstgewerbemuseum, as well as Ensemble Art d’Echo – Juliane Laake bringing to life the painted figures of Lucas Cranach the Elder. 

Audiences can also look forward to a Renaissance dance celebration with The Playfords, shadow theatre for families with Double Reed Tales Berlin, and a promenade concert with a surprise guest featuring the intimate viol consort tiefsaits and the brilliant wind ensemble Alta Bellezza. 

A vocal highlight is the captivating world of the Italian madrigal with Profeti della Quinta, followed during a culinary break by the Renaissance flute and drum of Zweigulden in a convivial atmosphere. The Sollazzo Ensemble then brings to life the polyphony of the recently rediscovered Leuven Chansonnier. 

The programme also includes Jacob Obrecht’s Missa Maria zart with Cappella Pratensis, musical discoveries around the little-known composer Caspar Kittel with Joel Frederiksen and Ensemble Phoenix Munich, and an opulent Advent programme by the B’Rock Orchestra & Vocal Consort featuring music by Heinrich Schütz.