The unique character of music played live is a crucial aspect of understanding the expressive beauty and compelling honesty of Grigory Sokolov's art. His poetic interpretations, which come alive with mystical intensity in the concert hall, are based on an in-depth knowledge of the repertoire. His programmes span the entire history of music: from transcriptions of sacred polyphony of the Middle Ages and works by Couperin, Rameau and Bach, to the Classical and Romantic repertoire and key compositions of the 20th century. Now Grigory Sokolov returns to Schloss Elmau – with what is sure to be a compelling and impressive concert evening.

Rakhi Singh and her sister Simmy, two of the most innovative violinists of our time, are guests in Elmau. Born in rural Wales to an Indian father and an English mother, they are influenced by different cultures and traditions, which also flow into their music. Rakhi is the founder and artistic director of the Manchester Collective, one of the most interesting ensembles around - experimenting with new music and musical forms. She works with artists such as Steve Reich, Hiromi, Phillip Glass, Björk and Abel Selaocoe.

With her two studio albums “MINT” & “S.I.D.E.S.”, the German-British indie pop singer achieved over one billion streams and three million sales. Since the release of her debut single “No Roots” (US Gold, multi-platinum in Europe), she has thrilled audiences all over the world. In addition to top 10 placings in the European charts or the US Hot 100 and winning the jury on “The Voice of Germany”, it is above all incredible live moments that characterise Alice Merton's career. From her home in London, Alice Merton has been working primarily on new music this year. She has already released two songs from this new era – so we can look forward to the coming year, in which there will be plenty of new music from Alice Merton.

Dutch duo Lucas & Artur Jussen are among the most sought-after piano duos of our time and are a breath of fresh air in the world's biggest concert halls. With their energetic, almost symbiotic playing, their great refinement of sound and their gripping interpretations, they are celebrated by press and audience alike. “It's like driving two BMWs at the same time,” said conductor Michael Schønwandt about the two pianists after a joint concert.

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.

On this evening, the sought-after pop singer Stefanie Heinzmann presents her songs in the artful arrangements of the “Takeover! Ensemble”. The Swiss singer scored a hit in 2008 with “My Man Is A Mean Man” and went on to perform with international stars such as Lionel Richie. Now it will be interesting to see how her songs sound in the Takeover arrangements, as the head of the ensemble, violinist Miki Kekenj, effortlessly brings all styles together with his clever arrangements, translating modern songs from pop and soul into his classical instrumentation and thus ensuring a particularly emotional concert experience.

South African cellist Abel Selaocoe redefines the parameters of the cello: he moves effortlessly through a variety of genres, from collaborations with world musicians and beatboxers to classical solo concerts. He combines virtuoso performance with improvisation, singing and body percussion and has a particular interest in rethinking concert programmes and highlighting connections between Western and non-Western musical traditions.

British saxophonist Jess Gillam delights audiences everywhere with her infectious esprit. She has performed with orchestras such as the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, including the famous “Last Night of the Proms” on several occasions. She was the first saxophonist ever to secure an exclusive recording contract with the major CD label Decca Classics. Now with a fabulously eclectic programme that takes us on a musical journey of discovery from Bach to Bowie!