Tod auf dem Nil, Mord im Orientexpress, Karibische Affäre – Wer kennt sie nicht, die Geschichten von Agatha Christie?
Diese Ausgabe der Bar Stories steht im Zeichen des literarischen Krimis. Silke und Frederik von Lonski lesen Auszüge aus verschiedenen Agatha Christie-Romanen, musikalisch begleitet von Daniel Eberhard und seinen Mitmusikern. Das Barteam um Keven McFarland sorgt für die passenden Drinks.

Anna Gréta is one of the most interesting discoveries of "Nordic Jazz". Sophisticated piano craftsmanship meets a haunting voice and multi-faceted songwriting. She combines elements of jazz, pop and folk to create a Nordic sound that was born in her native Iceland. Her adopted country is now Sweden, where she is a multi-award winning "rising star" and played at the Nobel Prize ceremony in 2020.

Uwe Wittstock tells the chronicle of a death that was announced and yet never thought possible. From day to day, he follows how the brilliant literary life of the Weimar period gave way in a few weeks to a long winter, and how the net tightened for Thomas Mann and Bertolt Brecht, for Else Lasker-Schüler and many others.

Lisa Batiashvili, Gautier Capuçon and Jean-Yves Thibaudet are among the great and leading musicians of our time - as world-renowned soloists and equally passionate chamber musicians. After an acclaimed collaboration in 2019, the three musicians will once again come together as a piano trio and - after intensive rehearsal days and the first concert in Schloss Elmau - tour all the important European music centres.

The wonderful cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras has brought three jazz musicians to his side for "Invisible Stream". In this programme they combine different musical worlds from Schubert to John Coltrane and show the idea of the creolisation of the world - the cultural intermingling that has long shaped our worlds and significantly connects us humans in an "invisible stream".

Marx, Wagner, Nietzsche - these three thinkers had a profound influence on both the 19th and 20th centuries. As contemporaries who alternately confronted each other with veneration, rejection or ignorance, they shaped an era of enormous diversity and dynamism. Herfried Münkler follows these three fascinating figures and thus evokes an entire era.

Pianist Omer Klein and trumpeter and ECHO Jazz award winner Sebastian Studnitzky need no introduction - both are internationally renowned musicians, composers and bandleaders who have been creating their very own worlds of sound for years. In the summer of 2021, they met for the first time and decided to work together. The result brings the two to Schloss Elmau, where they can be heard regularly.

"A sensation [...] and one of the best violin impressions ever", Harald Eggebrecht wrote about Augustin Hadelich in the Süddeutsche Zeitung. In the meantime, Hadelich has established himself as one of the great violinists of his generation and performs with all the major American orchestras. And his phenomenal reputation also precedes him in his increasingly numerous appearances in Europe and the Far East.

The Balvenie is one of the few Scottish distilleries still owned by the founding family.
An extraordinary level of quality and craftsmanship is still part of the company's own philosophy today.
As one of the last distilleries in Scotland, Balvenie has its own barley fields, malt house, copper works and cooperage. This enables the creation of unique and rare whiskies. Together with brand ambassador Markus Heinze, we will take you on an enjoyable journey to the heart of Speyside - one of Scotland's most beautiful regions!
On this very special evening, a total of 3 exceptional single malt Scotch whiskies will be tasted:
The Balvenie The Balvenie 21 years Port Wood
The Balvenie 21 years The Second Red Rose
The Balvenie 25 years

Probably the most famous living cellist of our time, Mischa Maisky, returns to Schloss Elmau. He will perform two of the six suites for solo cello by Johann Sebastian Bach, the bible of cello literature. These have accompanied the master cellist Maisky throughout his life in numerous concerts and CD recordings. For the viola da gamba sonata on the cello, he is accompanied by his son Maximilian Maisky on the piano.

A childhood around 1960. A middle-class household where a lot of music is made. The father is a prison warden. The war is not long ago, and the parents are trying to make up for what they call their lost years. Edgar Selge's narrative tone is full of wit and musicality. Whether Bach or Beethoven, Schubert or Dvorák: like a second narrative, the music covers the story and accompanies the unwavering drive for freedom.

This evening is a short journey through Éva Fahidi-Pusztai's eventful life: It tells of deportation, of the Auschwitz concentration camp, of the murder of her family and of her own survival. Éva Fahidi-Pusztai, born in 1925, speaks herself on this evening, and Benjamin Appl sings the songs that became important in her life. The programme also includes songs that were composed in concentration camps or whose composers died there.

"... one of those rare trios that as a unit embody the ideal of democracy and communication and ... that could succeed the legendary Keith-Jarrett Trio," enthused Adrian Kreye in the Süddeutsche Zeitung. The formation around the American jazz pianist with Indian roots, who has released countless albums on the ECM label, is finally returning to Schloss Elmau.

As a sound engineer, Icelandic musician and producer Valgeir Sigurðsson has worked with world stars such as Björk and Hilary Hahn. With violinist Daniel Pioro and gambist Liam Byrne, Sigurðsson now presents his own works as well as adaptations of early music for violin, viola da gamba and electronica live - for the first time at Schloss Elmau.

„Ich habe einmal gesagt, dass es seit Oskar Werner keine solche Stimme wie die von Christian Reiner mehr gegeben hat. Es scheint, wenn man zuhört, wie er die Gedichte von Pier Paolo Pasolini in Poesie verwandeln kann, dass ich nicht übertrieben habe.“ Wolf Wondratschek

Bassist Petros Klampanis, “outstanding player and composer” (JazzTimes), brings the program of his fourth album to Schloss Elmau: at his side two familiar faces – the outstanding pianist Kristjan Randalu, who regularly releases on the famous jazz label ECM, and the sought-after drummer Bodek Janke.

Bar icon and bitter sommelier Nils Boese reads from Ian Fleming's James Bond books. He explains the history of the drinks mentioned in the books. The bar team around Keven McFarland will serve classic drinks and their own interpretations of the well-known James Bond drinks to match. Michael Gumpinger accompanies on the bar piano.

The Tetzlaff Quartet, consisting of violinists Christian Tetzlaff and Elisabeth Kufferath, Hanna Weinmeister, viola, and Tanja Tetzlaff on cello, was founded in 1994 and has since been one of the most sought-after ensembles of the middle generation. The quartet has performed at all the important concert venues in Germany, Europe and the USA and on all the major international stages from Wigmore Hall London to the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.

World-class violinist, acclaimed classical star, brilliant music mediator, artistic director of orchestras and concert series, as well as book author, television and radio presenter with his own programmes - Daniel Hope combines many qualities. In April, he will travel to Schloss Elmau with his piano partner, the renowned Ukrainian pianist Alexey Botvinov: they will perform works by Brahms, Dvorak and many others.

How do you thank someone appropriately for an award that was initially denied to you? How do you declare your love for America shortly after Donald Trump's election? What does a German with Iranian roots say about Auschwitz? What words remain at the grave of one's own father? Navid Kermani does not shy away from any challenge in his great speeches and thus also challenges his listeners to break away from familiar patterns of thought.

Pianist Vladyslav Sendecki and percussionist Jürgen Spiegel are both heavyweights on the European jazz scene. With their brand new album and programme "Solace", they have refined their duo concept even further: powerful and intimate, narrative and romantic, occasionally even psychedelic, but always playfully liberated and spontaneous. The "smallest orchestra in the world" takes the listener on a journey full of vitality, imagination and power.

“When he was in the hospital, Grandpa made me promise to teach you Islam when he was gone, our Islam, the Islam I grew up with.” This is how a father begins to tell his daughter night after night - about what unites all believers, about God and death, about love and the infinity around us. This book is not only enchantment and literary masterpiece, but a true gain of knowledge.

Gustav Peter Wöhler has been one of the well-known faces of the German theatre, cinema and television scene for years. But acting and singing are not mutually exclusive - this is proven by more than 20 years of band history and major concerts from the Elbphilharmonie to the Rheingau Music Festival. Wöhler and his musicians bring one-hit wonders, classics and favourite songs from two decades to life.

Manfred Osten re-reads Goethe with a view to the Corona pandemic and the climate crisis and discovers a wealth of surprising and thought-provoking insights. As early as 1787, in a letter to Charlotte von Stein, Goethe describes the future model of a global society in which "the world will become a great hospital and one another's humane orderly." The "great hospital" can be interpreted as a great world metaphor of the 21st century under the sign of a global immune deficiency. This global immunodeficiency takes the form of a pandemic of extremist boundlessness and immoderateness, from which it is necessary to escape. Goethe exhorts us to understand nature as a universe of infinite interactions.

Experience the three different well-known qualities from the house of Lillet and garnish a Lillet drink live according to instructions. Brand Ambassador Sue Amirpour and the bar team will accompany you on this enjoyable journey to France.

“Blessed with an immensely offensive, sometimes devouring tone of such lyrical as dramatic power”, music journalist Harald Eggebrecht (SZ) described American violist David Aaron Carpenter; critic icon Norman Lebrecht called him the “hottest violist of our time”. Now he and his no less talented siblings are back at Schloss Elmau.

Four percussionists and a pianist with a kind of meditation on the depth of being, the eternal becoming and passing away. The Canto Ostinato. Today, this piece by Simeon ten Holt is one of the most frequently performed Dutch compositions. The music is tonal, almost classical. In between, the musicians, who are grouped around the sought-after young percussionist Alexej Gerassimez, improvise over and with materials such as wood, water, stones and metal.

Outstanding young talent at Schloss Elmau: at the “Festival of the Prize Winners”, selected prize winners from different years of the ARD International Competition spend a rehearsal period at Schloss Elmau. At the end of the rehearsals, they present themselves in chamber music works.

Erleben Sie hervorragend gemixte Drinks gemeinsam mit thematisch passenden Auszügen klassischer und zeitgenössischer Literatur in einer der schönsten Bars Deutschlands.

Annett Lousian, probably the most charming German voice, is back in Schloss Elmau. The musician has her album "Kitsch" with 15 beautiful new interpretations of world-famous hits - from "Hello" to "Bitter Sweet Symphony". Annett spans the last decades of music history and gives the well-known songs her very own touch with her unique voice.

Daumants Liepinš is one of the most interesting new talents in the piano world. In 2019, he was awarded the Vendome Prize at the Verbier Festival, and he is also the winner of numerous instrumental competitions. Already established as one of the most important artists in his home country of Latvia, Liepinš is now in the process of making a name for himself in the main European music centres as well.

Steinway connects piano competitions with concert organizers, festivals, orchestras as well as radio stations on an international level. These concerts give important impetus to young musicians selected and recommended by Steinway at the beginning of their careers. Jonathan Fournel brilliantly established himself in the international top class in the spring of 2021 when he won the prestigious Concour Reine Elisabeth, one of the most important piano competitions in the world.

Sabine Rückert from ZEIT's Editor-in-Chief is an expert on crime and how to fight it. She sat in on major criminal trials, wrote award-winning court reports and investigated unimaginable criminal cases.
Sabine Rückert talks to Andreas Sentker, head of ZEIT's knowledge department, about a particularly sensitive criminal case.

Nesrine hits a nerve of our time with her mixture of traditional Arabic music, world, jazz and pop. Since 2018, the Franco-Algerian singer and cellist Nesrine has been astounding the European music world. In her artful songs in Arabic, French and English, her dazzling artistic personality becomes audible. A musical world without borders, with North African roots and a Mediterranean present.

Begleitet von laufenden Bildern, mit denen die Pantomimen Bodecker & Neander hinreißend spielen, liefern die beiden Musiker mit schier überbordender Spielfreude ganz großes Kino für die Ohren.

“If music has the potential to tell stories, saxophonist Oded Tzur proves himself one of the jazz world's premier storytellers” (Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz). Tel Aviv saxophonist Oded Tzur has enchanted the jazz world since his first album release in 2015. His penetrating playing is praised by the specialist press just as much as he is counted among the “great musical thinkers of our time” (Jazzecho).

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 programs 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.

Tsotne (*2009) has proven to be a unique talent with an overwhelming musicality at a young age. He began composing at the age of five and became increasingly interested in 20th and 21st century music during his studies. He attended master classes with Daniel Barenboim and Jörg Widmann. This is the second time he will perform at Schloss Elmau.

There is something magical in the history of the Israeli pianist Yaron Herman. After an aspired career as a basketball player, which was ended by an injury, he started playing the piano at the age of 16. A meteoric rise to become one of the most respected pianists of his generation follows, leading his listeners into a realm of innovation and joy.

Dorothee Oberlinger is the undisputed queen of the recorder, critically acclaimed and the recipient of many awards. She has made a significant contribution to making the recorder, which is disliked by many, more popular again. Similarly, Nils Mönkemeyer, one of the most successful violists, has brought enormous attention to his instrument. Together they now span a wide arc through music history, from Hildegard von Bingen to Luciano Berio.

“His reputation as a guitarist is almost mystical,” says the New York Times about Habib Koité, “he combines rock and classical techniques with Malian tunings that make the guitar sound like a kora or n'goni.” It is mainly because of his rousing live performances that he has become one of the great stars of world music: a musician and storyteller who makes his musical roots accessible to a wide audience with charisma and skill.

The 14-piece orchestra from the successful ARD series “Babylon Berlin” is now touring the country. The programme will include the hit of the series “Zu Asche zu Staub”, with which they bring back the music and lifestyle of the 1920s and literally invite the concertgoer to the “Moka Efti”, one of Berlin's entertainment palaces of the 1920s and a prominent location from the series “Babylon Berlin”!

The father-daughter duo Julia and Clemens Hagen founded the "Duo Hagen" in 2021. Master cellist Clemens Hagen has been performing on all the world's great stages for decades, while his daughter Julia is well on her way to a great career. For the family duo, making music together is something very special and unites the joy of music on a family level - with wonderful and highly entertaining repertoire for cello duo.

South African Abel Selaocoe is the rapidly rising star in the cello sky. Together with the extremely versatile and busy South African violist Gareth Lubbe, the musicians combine genres on this evening: their programme moves effortlessly between genres and styles and ranges from Bach to beatboxing to the phenomenal world of overtone singing.

Dave Dargie is one of South Africa's leading ethnomusicologists. His extensive research over several decades has led to incredible revelations about the overtone-rich musical culture of the Xhosa people of his country. The art of harmonic and throat singing will be introduced to the audience who will also be given the opportunity to try out this vocal phenomenon which is found in many ancient cultures around the world.

The pianist Martin Stadtfeld hardly needs an introduction; he is one of the most sought-after and successful German pianists: competition wins, ECHO Klassik awards, concerts up and down the country and thousands of CDs sold speak for themselves. His programmes are also full of ideas - the latest one with "folk songs", a fond memory from his childhood, he now brings to Schloss Elmau. Frank-Thomas Mitschke will read texts and poems.

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. Groove with brains, electro with horns, jazz in a frenzy.