Weissenhorn Klassik Festival

Founded in 2014 by singer and cultural entrepreneur Esther Kretzinger, the Weissenhorn Klassik Festival has developed into one of Southern Germany’s distinctive independent classical music festivals. Under Kretzinger’s artistic direction, the festival brings internationally acclaimed artists, emerging talents and innovative concert formats to the historic Bavarian town of Weissenhorn. Set within intimate historical venues such as the Fugger château, the atmospheric open-air castle square and Bavaria’s smallest historical theatre, the festival creates close encounters between artists and audiences and combines artistic excellence with a highly personal concert experience. The festival’s programming is rooted in classical music while constantly expanding beyond traditional concert formats. Alongside chamber music and orchestral concerts, recent editions have integrated music theatre, improvisation, interdisciplinary collaborations, mindfulness-based listening formats, movement-based experiences and late-night concerts exploring contemporary sound worlds. The 2026 edition, marking the festival’s 12th anniversary, reflects this artistic evolution particularly strongly. Under the theme of openness, listening and human connection, the programme ranges from Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed by the Belgian chamber orchestra Casco Phil to immersive formats combining meditation, breath, movement and live music, as well as visual music theatre with Bodecker & Neander and performances by outstanding young artists Marie and Martin Helling, whose artistic development the festival has supported over several years. The Weissenhorn Klassik Festival sees classical music not as a fixed tradition, but as a living cultural practice capable of creating meaningful contemporary experiences. Artistic director Esther Kretzinger develops each festival edition in close dialogue with invited artists, creating programmes that combine artistic depth, accessibility and experimentation. Internationally renowned artists such as Avi Avital, Sharon Kam, Herbert Schuch, Antti Siirala, Tanja Tetzlaff, Julian Steckel, Barbara Dennerlein, Omer Klein, Dmitry Sinkovsky, the Schumann Quartet, Bodecker & Neander and many others have been presented by the festival in recent years. Education and social engagement remain central to the festival’s identity. Since its foundation, the Papageno education programme has introduced children and young audiences to classical music through participatory formats, workshops and pilot projects, while the support of emerging young artists continues to shape the festival’s artistic profile.