When the famous Burgtheater actor Nicholas Ofczarek and the fantastic Austrian Musicbanda Franui bring Thomas Bernhard's novel “Holzfällen“ to the stage, a unique format will be created - with elements of music theater, reading, theater performance and radio play. Nikolaus Ofczarek will speak Thomas Bernhard's sentences in the midst of the Musicbanda, while the Musicbanda will be heard performing a specialty that has made them famous: celebrating funeral marches and funeral music.

The unique success story of one of the most famous brass ensembles in the world has been going on for over 50 years: Canadian Brass. They never cease to amaze audiences with the unexpected possibilities of their instruments and humorous entertainment. The fact that they don't take themselves and their music too seriously and that smiles are definitely welcome is certainly one of the keys to their success.

Dorothee Oberlinger is the undisputed queen of the recorder – praised by critics and the recipient of many awards. She has made a significant contribution to making the recorder, which is unloved by many, more popular again. Together with the sought-after violinist Franziska Hölscher and friends, she brings two new concert programs to Schloss Elmau. The first evening will focus on “The Four Seasons” (Le quattro stagioni), framed by two recorder concertos.

Dorothee Oberlinger is the undisputed queen of the recorder – praised by critics and the recipient of many awards. She has made a significant contribution to making the recorder, which is unloved by many, more popular again. Together with the sought-after violinist Franziska Hölscher and friends, she brings two new concert programs to Schloss Elmau. On the second evening, the program features chamber music from the Baroque period in changing instrumentations.

Norbert Frei presents his book “Im Namen der Deutschen – Die Bundespräsidenten und die NS-Vergangenheit”

Lambert is one of the most talented pianists on the German music scene and also one of the most mysterious. Lambert does not like to be in the spotlight. For this reason, the pianist wears a bull mask on stage. In this way, he also manages to distract the audience from himself and invite them into a musical dream world that incorporates minimal music, jazz and neoclassical music. Lambert is now performing at Schloss Elmau for the first time.

Bigband jazz made in Bavaria. The Jazzrausch Bigband has made it its mission to inspire its audience with creative music-making. With an average of 120 concerts a year, it is one of the busiest big bands in Europe and brings together jazz fans and dance fans with “power of sound, groove and enormous stage presence” (FAZ) like probably no comparable ensemble currently.
This year, the band is celebrating its tenth anniversary and will be presenting a total of ten different programmes at Schloss Elmau as Ensemble in Residence 2024. Next concert date: Wednesday, 10 July

Two world-class string quartets: the Quatuor Ébène and the Belcea Quartet are among the best string quartets ever. For this concert, they unite to form an octet and interpret two of the great works for this instrumentation – Mendelssohn's youthful work full of luminous melodic ideas and the darkly glowing, dense work by the nineteen-year-old Romanian Enescu.

Rüdiger Safranski presents his book “Kafka: Um sein Leben schreiben”.

„In einer Welt des Friedens und der Liebe wäre Musik die universelle Sprache“, behauptete der musikliebende Dichter Henry David Thoreau. Die oftmals streitbaren Persönlichkeiten berühmter Komponisten sprechen freilich eine andere Sprache: Wagner bezichtigt Brahms des Katzenmordes, während Verdi seine „Aida“ nur komponiert, um Wagner eins auszuwischen. Beethoven rät Rossini gönnerhaft, nur komische Opern zu komponieren, für alles andere hingegen fehle ihm das Talent.
Und es kommt noch schlimmer: Der Renaissance-Musiker Carlo Gesualdo wird aus Eifersucht sogar zum Doppelmörder. Hector Berlioz plant einen Dreifachmord mit anschließendem Selbstmord, bis ihn die Ouvertüre zu „King Lear“ auf andere Gedanken bringt.
Die Welt kann sich zumindest daran erfreuen, dass die Eifersüchteleien der Musik-Heroen für beste Unterhaltung sorgen.

Highest virtuosity and poetic depth: Anna Vinnitskaya can not only ignite spectacular fireworks, but also paint great paintings. Her technical brilliance is never a virtuoso end in itself, but always a means of expression. Since winning 1st prize at the Concours Reine Elisabeth in Brussels in 2007, Anna Vinnitskaya has made a major international chart and plays with the most important orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic under Kirill Petrenko.

An exquisite ensemble led by violinist and ARD competition winner Sarah Christian and cello virtuoso Maximilian Hornung will be guests at Schloss Elmau. The programme includes two important works of large string chamber music, Korngold's Sextet, a youthful work by the Vienna-born and highly acclaimed young composer. The second part will feature Tchaikovsky's “Souvenir de Florence”, a cheerful work characterised by wonderful melodic inventions, which Tchaikovsky composed in 1890 during a stay of several months in Florence.

The young saxophonist Asya Fateyeva is this year's portrait artist at the famous Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. In preparation for this, the musicians will play their first concert at Schloss Elmau. With the special instrumentation of saxophone, hurdy-gurdy, cello and vibraphone, they will trace the touching poetry of medieval songs from the 12th and 13th centuries, when the first great form of art song developed. The main theme of these songs is love in all its facets. The almost thousand-year-old songs form the basis for Asya Fateyeva and her quartet, which they interpret and arrange from today's perspective.

Top experts explain the threat situation and Europe's options for action.

Big band jazz made in Bavaria. Like no other big band, the Jazzrausch Bigband stands for an energetic fusion of electronic music and jazz. With the new programme “Europa” – to coincide with the European Football Championship – the Jazzrausch Bigband focuses on the twists and turns and points of contact that arise in Europe: linguistic diversity, folk songs and traditional elements flow together with pulsating techno beats.
This year, the band is celebrating its tenth anniversary and will be presenting a total of ten different programmes at Schloss Elmau as Ensemble in Residence 2024. Next concert date: Tuesday, 30 July

The first-class ensemble for this concert is made up of four of Germany's most successful soloists. In this concert, the musicians dedicate themselves to the Piano Quartet op. 25 by Johannes Brahms, which, with its Rondo alla zingarese, became one of the most famous chamber music works in music literature. They will also perform the “Phantasy Quartet” by the English composer Frank Bridge, who was himself a violist.

Fantastic worlds of sound in a virtuoso flow, melodic richness, drama and great emotions: Finnish jazz pianist Iiro Rantala is taking his new album “Veneziana” on tour and, together with the versatile and highly creative vision string string quartet, creating a rousing city portrait of a different kind – programme music that only Iiro Rantala can write. Behind every musical twist lies a new surprise: Long live Venice!

Valery Tscheplanowa presents her book “Das Pferd im Brunnen”.

Curtis Stigers, award-winning singer, songwriter and saxophonist with millions of albums sold and an impressive 30-year career, is coming to Schloss Elmau for the first time. On his tour, the singer with a warm, velvety voice looks back on his international hits such as “I Wonder Why” and “Never Saw A Miracle” in his own relaxed, jazzy, bluesy style, which has earned him a firm place in the international music scene.

The Kora is a West African harp instrument with 21 strings, traditionally played by men. Sona Jobarteh has broken this old rule! She plays the kora standing up and demonstrates her complex musical skills on stage as the front woman of her own band. In her compositions she uniquely combines the influences of modern music with traditional African music and thus remains connected to the roots of her homeland..

In 2023, rapper Roger Rekless, singer Eva Ahoulou and pianist Matthias Bublath faced a major challenge: they were commissioned by „Bayerischer Rundfunk“ to transform six songs relating to the year 1923 into the present day in six weeks and perform these songs on stage in a concert. They were accompanied by a „BR“ camera team. The result is the documentary #Challenge1923 (ARD media centre).
Rekless, Ahoulou and Bublath were not only concerned with how to deal with music, but also with topics that were topical 100 years ago and still are today: Everyday racism, discrimination, but also the unifying power of music! This project can now be experienced live at Schloss Elmau in film, in conversation and as a concert.

In 2023, rapper Roger Rekless, singer Eva Ahoulou and pianist Matthias Bublath faced a major challenge: they were commissioned by „Bayerischer Rundfunk“ to transform six songs relating to the year 1923 into the present day in six weeks and perform these songs on stage in a concert. They were accompanied by a „BR“ camera team. The result is the documentary #Challenge1923 (ARD media centre).
Rekless, Ahoulou and Bublath were not only concerned with how to deal with music, but also with topics that were topical 100 years ago and still are today: Everyday racism, discrimination, but also the unifying power of music! This project can now be experienced live at Schloss Elmau in film, in conversation and as a concert.

He is one of the great pianists of our time: Evgeny Kissin has been performing on stages around the world for over three decades, impressing audiences as a virtuoso and as a serious pianist dedicated exclusively to music. Recently, he has also emerged as a political artist, taking a stand against his native Russia and condemning the attack on Ukraine in the strongest possible terms in a public discussion at Schloss Elmau. On this August evening, he will take his seat at the Elmau grand piano for the first time for a piano recital with works by Beethoven, Chopin and Prokofiev.

The Swiss instrument Hang, an sounding body with a meditative sound, has made the Tyrolean Manu Delago a star – and a video on YouTube that was clicked almost 5 million times. He is responsible for sold-out houses from India to Mexico, from the USA to Germany. World stars like the Icelandic pop icon work closely with him. Now the Tyrolean musician and composer can be experienced for the first time in Schloss Elmau and presents a splendid interplay of experimental pop, detail-loving electronics and rocky chamber music.