T. Augestad: Marthaler Premiere in Hamburg

On 20 August 2026, Christoph Marthaler‘s First last second - a gala will receive its world premiere in Hamburg, co-staring the mezzo-soprano Tora Augestad. The production will be presented by the Internationale Sommerfest at Kampnagel with additional performances on 21, 22, 23 August 2026. Sylvain Cambreling will lead the co-producing Symphoniker Hamburg – Laeiszhalle Hamburg Orchester. The established team around Marthaler will include Malte Ubenauf (dramaturgy), Duri Bischoff (set) and Sara Kittelmann (costumes). Further soloists next to Tora Augestad will be Liliana Benini, Raphael Clamer, Bendix Dethleffsen, Rosemary Hardy, Ueli Jäggi, Hardy Kayser, Clemens Sienknecht and Sebastian Zuber. Before the renovation of the Kampnagel-Halls, Marthaler - who is based in Hamburg - will be staging one last grand gala with his ensemble celebrating the form itself: At the center is the essence of the gala in every conceivable sound, shape, and color. Does the gala offer solace in the difficult hours of change, farewell, and new beginnings? Perhaps, for it is not the gala that passes, but always, again and again, the individual human being. What prospects! On 10/11/12 September 2026 the production will be invited to the co-producing Lausitz Festival.

(published on 4 August 2026)

Vanessa Porter: summer festival debuts 

On 18/19 August 2026 the percussionist Vanessa Porter will make a first appearance at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival and will present the family programme The best rhythm of the world together with Elisa Lázaro Hernando (percussion) in Bad Oldeslohe and Norderstedt. The artists will take the young and the grown-up audience on an interactive, musical journey around the globe and will perform works by J. S. Bach, Astor Piazzolla, Matthias Schmitt, Nebojša Jovan Živković and other composers.

On 21/22 August 2026 Vanessa Porter will perform two solo concerts at the Richard Wagner Museum Bayreuth – in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Bayreuther Festspiele and the 50th anniversary of the Richard-Wagner-Museum at Villa Wahnfried. She will present works by Kurt Schwitters, Juri Seo, Rebecca Saunders, Thierry De Mey, Pierre Jodlowski, Robert Schumann as well as pieces by Georges Aperghis and Emil Kuyumcuyan that have been especially dedicated to her.

On 30/31 August 2026 she will make her debut at the Rheingau Musik Festival in two concerts at Schloss Johannisberg once again presenting The best rhythm of the world with Malte Arkona (narrator) and Elisa Lázaro Hernando (percussion).

(published on 21 July 2026)

Anu Komsi: BBC Proms in Bristol

On 9 August 2026, the soprano Anu Komsi and the violinist Sakari Oramo join forces to perform György Kurtág's seminal work Kafka-Fragments op. 24 for a concert at the BBC Proms at the Lantern Hall Bristol. The musical duo and married couple have performed the Kafka-Fragments already many times and even recorded them on CD. Only last summer, they presented this work at the Aldeburgh Festival. The Times once raved about Anu’s interpretation: Komsi produced something more powerful, a performance in which the protagonist’s effort to contain her madness was palpable.

(published on 14 July 2026)

Lavinia Dames: Festival summer in Bayreuth

On 31 July 2026 and 10/20/25 August 2026 the soprano Lavinia Dames will return as 1. Knappe/Zaubermädchen in RichardWagner‘s Parsifal to the Bayreuth Festival. Already in the past two summers, Lavinia performed in this production of the stage director Jay Scheib. Pablo Heras-Casado will lead the Festspielorchester and the Festspielchor. Andreas Schager will sing the role of Parsifal, Tobias Kehrer the role of Titurel, Jordan Shanahan the role of Klingsor, Miina-Liisa Värelä the role of Kundry, Michael Volle the role of Amfortas and Georg Zeppenfeld the role of Gurnemanz. The set has been designed by Mimi Lien and the costumes by Meentje Nielsen.

(published on 6 July 2026)