Current events

Michael Rotschopf reads. Oliver Herbert plays the cello. Together, they conjure an hour of words and music about the courage to be oneself.

Walt Whitman, Oscar Wilde, Thomas Mann, Natalia Ginzburg, Dawn Avery, Iannis Xenakis and Pablo Casals – their voices, along with others, come together in an unusual literary and musical collage.

It is about rebellion and freedom, temptation and resistance – and about the question of when courage changes our lives. And whether sometimes we first have to go looking for it, only to discover that it has been there all along.

An afternoon for everyone who loves great writing and music, and who is open to bold and daring ideas.

Michael Rotschopf is an actor – and an exceptional interpreter of the spoken word. Trained at the Max Reinhardt Seminar, he was engaged by Vienna’s Burgtheater while still a student. He has worked with directors such as Peter Stein, appeared at the Berliner Ensemble, the Salzburg Festival and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, and is also well known from film and television. For many years, Michael Rotschopf has also been in demand as a narrator and speaker in concerts, radio plays and audiobooks. Among other appearances, he performed at Carnegie Hall in Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s Requiem for a Young Poet.

Oliver Herbert is a cellist who has recently completed his studies at the Kronberg Academy. The American musician is a recipient of the 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant and has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the San Francisco Symphony and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has a particular interest in contemporary music and in bringing familiar works into dialogue with newer, lesser-known repertoire.

Subject to change.

Benjamin Britten (1913–1976)
Les Illuminations, Op. 18

Edward Elgar (1857–1934)
Elegy

Wolfgang A. Mozart (1756–1791)
Concerto No. 4 in D major, K. 218

Subject to change

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921)
Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67

Subject to change

Dr.-Ing. Thomas Zwieg, Chief Developer at the string manufacturer Larsen Strings A/S, offers insights into the interaction between instrument, strings, bow and bowing technique — and into what musicians can do themselves to influence the response, articulation, volume and timbre of their string instrument.

The lecture will be held in English and is intended for participants in the Cello Masterclasses as well as interested visitors.

Subject to change.

Excerpts from:

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)
Concerto No. 1 in C major, Hob. VIIb 1 and No. 2 in D major, Hob. VIIb 2

Luigi Boccherini (1743–1805)
Concerto No. 3 in D major, G 476

INTERMISSION

Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)
Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33

Max Bruch (1838–1920)
Kol Nidrei in D minor, Op. 47

Prizewinners’ Concert of the Cello Masterclasses

Presentation of the awards:
As part of the concert, the Landgraf von Hessen Prize and the Frans Helmerson Förderpreis will be presented.

Subject to change

Final Concert of the Cello Masterclasses

The programme will be announced at a later date.

Subject to change

David Geringas (*1946)
Excerpts from “Sag das niemandem: Lebenserinnerungen eines Cellisten”

Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
Widmung No. 1, Op. 25

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
Minnelied No. 5, Op. 71

François Couperin (1668–1733)
Pièces en concert arranged for three violoncellos by David Geringas

Kronberg Academy honours the great cellist and pedagogue on his milestone birthday with a special event featuring music and recitation.

Subject to change

Between Conservation and the Concert Hall – Pernambuco Bows under New CITES Regulations

Pernambuco (*Paubrasilia echinata*) is a critically endangered tree species from Brazil. Its wood is prized for its stability, flexibility, and low weight, making it the primary material for crafting bows for string instruments.

Stricter CITES regulations for Pernambuco wood—which came into effect on March 5, 2026, following the most recent Conference of the Parties—have introduced new rules governing international trade and sales within the EU. However, the species' protection status remains unchanged; it has been under special protection since 2007. This presentation examines the implications for bow makers, musicians, the trade sector, and international travel. It focuses on the practical consequences regarding documentation, ownership, and transfer, as well as how species conservation can be reconciled with the responsible preservation of the art of bow making.

Master bow maker Thomas M. Gerbeth, who lives in his adopted home of Vienna, is committed to the conservation and sustainable future of Pernambuco. Through the International Pernambuco Conservation Initiative, he brings together species conservation, traditional bow making, and scientific research. His work focuses on projects in Brazil that promote the preservation, reforestation, and responsible use of this essential tree species for bow making.

The lecture will be held in German. Mr Gerbeth’s presentation (new CITES regulations) will be supplemented with English-language headings and brief explanatory notes, enabling English-speaking participants to follow the key content easily.

Subject change.

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809–1847)
Overture, Op. 26 “The Hebrides”

Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54

Subject to change