The year 2025 marks the 340th anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach's birth and the 275th anniversary of his death - significant occasions that will be especially honored in the sixth year of the Rostock Bach Festival.
From 10.10. to 12.10.2025, the festival offers a varied program: The opening concert with motets by Johann Sebastian Bach focuses on the special connection between Rostock church music under the recently deceased Rostock cantor Hartwig Eschenburg and the renowned Gaechinger Cantorey under Hans-Christoph Rademann.
A central component of the Bach Festival is a program conceived by artistic director Johanna Staemmler that illuminates Bach's music from different perspectives. The focus is particularly on the iconic work TheWell-Tempered Clavier, which can be experienced anew in an exciting new interpretation and premiere performance(Rethinking the Well-Tempered Clavier) by the Calmus Ensemble and pianist Natalya Pasichnyk.
The internationally acclaimed pianist, organist and Bach interpreter Kit Armstrong enriches the festival with two concerts in which he interprets Bach's music with extraordinary liveliness. Another highlight is provided by the duo Deep Strings with a concert program developed especially for the Bach Festival, which places improvisation as a connecting element between original works by Bach and contemporary sounds.
Under the title Bach and the End of Time, works by Johann Sebastian Bach and Olivier Messiaen will be interpreted in a chamber music setting - an exciting dialog between two seemingly contradictory composers, performed by outstanding musicians led by Johanna Staemmler. The Rostock Bach Festival not only stands for the performance of Bach's works, but also for an in-depth exploration of his musical legacy.
A festival full of music, history and innovation - the Bachtage Rostock 2025 invites you to rediscover Johann Sebastian Bach's world of sound.
October 10 to 12, 2025
