Château de Chantilly - a beautiful gem in France

The Château de Chantilly is a historic château located in the town of Chantilly in France. The site comprises two attached buildings: the Petit Château built around 1560 for Constable Anne de Montmorency, a comrade in arms of Francis I in Marignan, who plays a distinguished political role under Francis I and Henri II; and the Grand Château, which was destroyed during the French Revolution and rebuilt in the 1870s.
Owned by the Institut de France, the château houses also the Musée Condé. It has a painting collection with of over 800 masterpieces of French, Italian, Flemish, English paintings, which makes it the number one museum of ancient paintings (prior to 1850) in France after the Louvre Museum.

Since the medieval ages, the Chantilly Estate has belonged to the great Prince families of France such as the Orgemont, Condé or Orléans family.

During the Revolution the Chantilly Collections are seized as emigrant property and transported to the Louvre. The Chateau served as a prison. In 1799, the buildings are sold to demolition workers who demolish the Grand Chateau all the way down to the terrace.
After 1815, Prince Louis-Joseph, returning from emigration, decides to restore the apartments and obtains the restitution of portions of the collections held at the Louvre. He asks architect Victor Dubois to design the English Garden in 1817 and to fill the gap separating both chateau.

Did you know that Château de Chantilly also had a dairy factory which was built in 1754, within the park of the Château of Chantilly? Unfortunately the building and the factory no longer exist. Back in the days, when visiting the premises, the princes' guests were offered ice cream, fruits and all sorts of cream delicacies. The first mention of the now infamous Chantilly whipped cream appears June 18, 1784, in a text written by the Baroness of Oberkirch about a lunch at the Hameau.

Great Memories: The University of Miami Frost Chorale 2011 Incantato Spain Performance Tour

Johann Sebastian Bach up close at the Bachhaus in Eisenach - Germany

The Bachhaus in Eisenach (Bachhaus Eisenach) is the oldest museum devoted to the composer Johann Sebastian Bach, who was born and baptized in Eisenach and lived in the city until he was 10 years old. Today, Eisenach is home to the Bachhaus, which is the world's leading museum about the great composer and his works. It is located in a 550 year old half-timbered house on the Frauenplan that was purchased by the Neue Bachgesellschaft (New Bach Society) in 1906 and reopened as a museum in 1907. It contains original documents by Bach and provides a specialist library for researchers. In the summer, visitors to the museum can also visit a small Baroque garden behind the house. A modern wing, called the Penkues Building (after the architectural firm that designed it) opened in 2007. The exhibits will lead you through the life in Bach's time, musical instruments from the Bach era, the composer's works, and a few surprises (such as the step-by-step forensic reconstruction of Bach's head), or a movie that shows a rehearsal of the Thomaskirche Boys Choir in Leipzig, which Bach directed from 1723 to 1750.

As a bonus, you'll be treated to a mini-concert of Bach's music on a clavichord, a harpsichord and an organ during your visit to the museum. If you have time, you can sit in a "bubble chair" and listen to recorded music with headphones.

The Bachhaus also has a shop that sells recordings, books and posters. The "Café Kantate" will provide snacks and drinks after you've had your fill of history.

Hours: The Bachhaus Eisenach is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, except for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

Slideshow from the SMCC Concert in Naples

Impressions from the La Canada HS Italy Performance Tour

Full House with new and old friends for the Bellarmine Jazz Ensemble in Maiori

Incantato Destination: Monte Porzio Catone, Italy

Monte Porzio Catone is a municipality of the Province of Rome in the Italian Region of Latium and lies approximately twenty kilometers southeast of Rome in the Alban Hills. In addition to the Church of Saint Gregory the Great, erected in 1666 by Carlo Rainaldi for the Borghese family, some of the town’s main attractions include the Astronomical Rome Observatory, the Museum of Wine, the City Museum, and the Iseo Alari Community School of Music. The Astronomical Rome Observatory was built in 1939 and is located two kilometers from the city center. The structure rises from the remains of “Matilda’s Villa,” a first century Roman Villa. Originally built for the purpose of preserving the equipment of the National Observatory in Rome, the rationalist-style Astronomical Rome Observatory now promotes astronomic and scientific studies through educational initiatives and exchanges with schools and universities. Opened in 2000, the Museum of Wine not only provides visitors with wine tastings, but also takes guests through the process of creating wine. A tour of the museum teaches visitors, through the use of photos and demonstrations, the intricate steps of the wine production process. The museum even houses its own exclusive wine cellar. The Monte Porzio City Museum is housed within a recently restored seventeenth century cathedral within the heart of the city. The museum illustrates the multi-thousand-year history of the city through such exhibitions as archeological findings, medieval papal pottery, and seventeenth century art. The Iseo Ilari Community School of Music was founded by the Monte Porzio Catone City Administration in 1999. Through not only classes, but also performances and workshops, the school succeeds in encouraging social interaction and acceptance through the dissemination of music and cultural arts. The school, a recognized institution of the Italian Association of Schools of Music, currently offers studies in Classical Tradition and Music Performance.

For more information on Monte Porzio Catone, Italy, please visit: http://www.comune.monteporziocatone.rm.it/

The German city of Halle & Georg Friedrich Händel

Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale (literally Halle on the Saale river, and in some historic references simply Saale after the river) in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia. Halle (Saale) is situated in the southern part of Saxony-Anhalt, along the river Saale which drains the surrounding plains and the greater part of the neighboring Free State of Thuringia located just to its south, and the Thuringian basin, northwards from the Thuringian Forest. Leipzig, one of the other major cities of eastern Germany, is only 40 km away.
Halle's early history is connected with harvesting of salt. In fact the name Halle may be derived from a Pre-Germanic word for salt ("hall"). The name of the river Saale also contains the Germanic root for salt, and salt-harvesting has taken place in Halle at least since the time of the Bronze Age (2300-600 BC). The town was first mentioned in 806. It became a part of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg in the 10th century and remained so until 1680, when Brandenburg-Prussia annexed it together with Magdeburg as the Duchy of Magdeburg, while it was also an important spot of Martin Luther's Reformation with Albert of Mainz as his ecclesiastic counterpart. The Battle of Halle was fought between French and Prussian forces on 17 October 1806. The fighting moved from the covered bridges on the west side of the city, through the streets and market place, to the eastern suburbs. In 1815 Halle became part of the Prussian Province of Saxony. After World War II Halle served as the capital of the short-lived administrative region of Saxony-Anhalt, this was until 1952 when the East German government abolished its "Länder" (States). As a part of East Germany (until 1990), it functioned as the capital of the administrative district ("Bezirk") of Halle. When Saxony-Anhalt was re-established as a Bundesland, Magdeburg became the capital. According to historic documents, the city of Halle has been a member of the Hanseatic League at least since 1281.

Georg Friedrich Händel was born in Halle on 23 February 1685. He was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, and concertos. Händel was born in the same year as Johann Sebastian Bach and Domenico Scarlatti. He received critical musical training in Italy before settling in London and becoming a naturalised British subject. His works include Messiah, Water Music, and Music for the Royal Fireworks. He was strongly influenced by the great composers of the Italian Baroque and the middle-German polyphonic choral tradition. Händel's music was well-known to composers including Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.
Händel was born in Halle to Georg and Dorothea Händel in 1685. His father, Georg Händel, 63 when his son was born, was an eminent barber-surgeon who served as surgeon to the court of Saxe-Weissenfels and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. He strictly forbade his son to meddle with any musical instrument but Händel found means to get a little clavichord privately convey'd to a room at the top of the house. At an early age Händel became a skillful performer on the harpsichord and pipe organ. In 1702, following his father's wishes, Händel started studying law at the University of Halle; and also earned an appointment as the organist at the local Protestant cathedral. After a year Händel seems to have been unsatisfied and in 1703, he accepted a position as violinist and harpsichordist in the orchestra of the Hamburg opera house. There he met Johann Mattheson, Christoph Graupner and Reinhard Keiser. His first two operas, Almira and Nero, were produced in 1705. He produced two other operas, Daphne and Florindo, in 1708. It is unclear whether Händel directed these performances.

The organs of St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna

St. Stephen's Cathedral ("Stephansdom") is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna. It has an old organ tradition.
The first mention of an organ at St. Stephen's dates back to 1334. In 1513 the organ was relocated with the addition of a magnificent organ case created by master craftsman Anton Pilgram.
In 1507 master craftsman Burchhard Tischlinger from Bolzano created the organ on the Füchsel baldachin next to the sacristy, the Cathedral's best-known organ.
As the influence of the Baroque took hold at the Cathedral, a ten-register choir organ by Imperial organ builder Ferdinand Römer was installed above the old choir stalls in 1701, followed by the large 32-register Römer organ in the western loft in 1720.
In 1797 the two oldest organs were removed to be replaced with a large, 41-register organ which was installed in the western loft.
In 1886 Friedrich Walcker created his famous 90-register Giant Organ (named after the Giants' Gate entrance below the western loft) behind the frontage of the Römer organ. The instrument was lost in the fire at the Cathedral in 1945. Its little sister, the valuable Walcker organ, can still be heard at Vienna's Votivkirche.
After the fire in 1945 Vienna organ builder Johann Michael Kauffmann created an electric choir organ from 1948-1952. He also created another organ on the western loft with funds raised from donations. This large organ comprised 4 manuals, 125 registers and around 10,000 pipes. At the time of construction the organ was one of the last to be built with electronic con-valve chests. The organ facade is one of the most remarkable examples of an exposed pipe façade in the world. The instrument was decommissioned once the new Cathedral organ was completed.
The liturgical constitution of the Second Vatican Council deemed sacred music a "necessary and integrated element" of mass, according it a new status. This also had implications for St. Stephen's Cathedral. In 1991 a new Cathedral organ was installed in the south (right-hand) aisle close to the crossing. The new instrument created by Vorarlberg organ builder Rieger has 55 registers and four manuals. This modern universal organ consists of a Baroque positive with swell function, and a romantic Schwellwerk and Hauptwerk. The mixture comprises the Solowerk with Trompete, Clairon and Cornett.

Incantato Dolce Vita- Danube River Cruise overview

Budapest (Hungary)

Bratislava (Slovak Republic)
Wien (Austria)
Dürnstein (Austria)

Melk (Austria)
Linz (Austria)

Passau (Germany)

Vilshofen (Germany)

Incantato Impressions: Danube River Cruise

Bratislava's vast wine history

The capital of the Slovak Republic, Bratislava, is located amidst the Small Carpathian Wine Region, one of the six registered wine areas in the Slovak territory. The Small Carpathian Wine Region is the oldest wine-producing region in the nation.

The first references to wine production in Bratislava dates back 2,600 years, prior to the arrival of the Celts to the land. Later, the Celts and then especially the Romans diligently pursued the tradition of viticulture, when the legionnaires, in times of peace, planted and cultivated vineyards under the orders of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Probus. The viticulture survived and developed even after the fall of the Roman Empire, especially during the period of Great Moravia.

The growth and development of Bratislava’s viticulture has perpetually flourished since the 13^th century when commercialized distribution of wine took hold to satisfy the demands of the locals. Second only to the castle region, Bratislava townspeople are among the largest population of vineyard owners in the Small Carpathians. The high quality of the wine has secured a permanent market throughout the centuries. Through both local and foreign trade, the town has continued to thrive. Throughout history, regular buyers of Bratislavan wines have included such great rulers as Louis I the Great, Sigmund, and Ladislav V. Queen Maria Theresa loved the local wines, her favorite being the Fränkisch from Rača.

The most widespread grape varieties in the past were Veltlínske zelené (Green Veltliner), Silvánske zelené (Green Silvaner and Red Silvaner), Fränkisch and Portugal for the red varieties.

As early as the 13^th century, some Bratislava wine growers had the right to serve wine freely on tab in inns. Tradesmen, tapsters, and publicans also professionally served wine house-to-house, from their own homes, and public wine inns. Drunkenness at these public inns rarely resulted in the loss of face and good reputation, as the main reason for drinking was to relieve oneself of “devouring” worries.

Presently, Bratislava and its surrounding communities are part of the most important Slovak wine producers and represent the highest quality local wine production. Today the whole region actively “lives” with wine. Each year, the Small Carpathian Wine Region attracts a vast international crowd by hosting grape-picking festivities, open cellar days, the blessing of young wine, celebrations for Saint Urban—the patron saint of wine growers and producers, wine tastings, and a wine trail, in addition to a plentiful variety of wine bars, cellars, and shops.

Along with their top quality wines, the Slavs also flaunt their good hosting skills with their traditional cuisine. Local wine bars and restaurants also serve such regional specialties as knofle (dumplings), osuchy (dry-baked dough), dolky (baked pancakes), sciskance (potato pancakes), sulance (gnocchi), and a variety of hearty soups. Dessert consists of decadent pastries, doughnuts, cookies, and scones. The region’s most famous dish, however, remains traditional goose or duck served with potato pancakes. Regardless of one’s desired meal, Bratislava wine restaurants will always offer a perfectly paired glass of high quality wine to compliment the dish.

Germany's unique beer tradition

Beer reigns as one of the recognized and popular characteristics of German culture. The nation is home to approximately 1,300 breweries, second only to the United States’ 1,500. The German beer market stands independently from the rest of the world’s beer market due to the German brewers’ adherence to the Reinheitsgebot, or “purity order,” instated in 1516 that requires all German beers to be made only with water, hops, and barley-malt. The law also requires any beers not using barley-malt, such as what and rye, to be top-fermented (warm-fermented). The Germans fall only behind the Czechs and Irish in their per capita consumption of beer.

Germany brews a wide variety of beers. Germany’s top fermenting beers include Weizen, Weizenback, Roggenbier, Berliner Weisse, Leipziger Gose, Altbier, and Koelsch, which range from 2.5 to 8 percent alcohol by volume. Germany’s bottom-fermenting, or cold-fermenting, beers include Helles, Schwarzbier, Pilsener, Export, Spezial, Dunkel, Rauchbier, Bock, Dunkler Bock, Doppelbock, Eisbock, and Muerzen. These varieties are commonly found on tap throughout American bars and range from 4.5 to 15 percent alcohol by volume.

German beer tradition includes leaving some beers unfiltered. Kellerbiers, German for “cellar beer,” are unfiltered lagers conditioned in a similar manner to cask ales. Strength and color will vary, but Kellerbiers most commonly appear a deep amber color with an approximate 5 percent alcohol content.

Zwickelbiers take their name from the traditional practice of the brewery boss taking a sample from the barrel with a special pipe tool called a “Zwickelhahn.” Zwickelbiers are an unfiltered lager like Kellerbier, though with a slightly different conditioning process that gives the lager more carbonation. Zwickelbiers tend to be younger, lower in alcohol content, and less hoppy than Kellerbiers. Many US breweries will use the terms Keller of Zwickel to market unpasteurized beer. German whet beers, Weissbier, are available in unfiltered, Hefeweizen form, or filtered, Kristallweizen form.

Enjoy the locally brewed beers of historic Regensburg

Regensburg, located along the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, lies to the west of the Bavarian Forest in Bavaria, Germany. Regensburg serves as the capital of the Bavarian administrative region of Upper Palatinate, and the city’s medieval center is a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The first settlements in Regensburg date back to the Stone Age when the Celts originally settled near the present city. The Romans are accredited for founding the city in approximately AD 90 when they built a small cohort fort in what is now the Regensburg suburbs. The Roman fort Castra Regina, meaning “fortress by the river Regen,” was built for Legio III Italica in AD179 during the reign of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The fort’s location became the core of Regensburg’s Altstadt, or “Old City.” Saint Boniface re-established the Bishopric of Regensburg here in 739.

A stone bridge crossing the Danube from Regensburg was completed in 1146, securing the city’s role as a city of wealthy trading families. Regensburg became the cultural center of southern Germany, known for its gold work, fabrics, and beautiful town square.

Regensburg became the World War II Area Headquarters of Military District XIII in the early 1940s, but unlike most other major German cities, Regensburg survived the war relatively undamaged. The city’s slow economic recovery in the post-war era ensured that historic buildings were not torn down, and when the upswing came surged through the city in the 1960s, they mindset favored preservation and restoration of the city’s heritage and historical sites.

The fully-restored historical town square consists of many stunning sights, including the German Gothic Dom Cathedral originally founded in 1275, the Romanesque Basilica of Saint James, the old parish church of Saint Ulrich which houses the diocesan museum of religious art, the fourteenth century town hall, the Golden Tower, and the Gothic villa of the King of Bavaria. Visitors also enjoy visiting Saint Emmeram’s Abbey, now known as Schloss Thurn und Taxis, a huge castle owned by the powerful Thurn and Taxis families.

Although some wine is still grown on the river banks in Regensburg, the city’s main drink is surely beer. The city boasts three functioning breweries and two brew pubs, producing a variety of beer styles, from lighter Pils to heavy Dunkels; wheat beer (Weizen) is also locally made. A popular pub favored by the locals is the "Kneitinger" at the Arnulfsplatz 3. Also the beergardens near the Danube "Alte Linde" and "Spital Garten", both reachable from the Stone Bridge, offer a perfect way to taste Regensburg-brewed beer. The Bischofshof beer can be tasted next to the cathedral in the court of the “Bischofshof,” the brewery’s former location.

Visit the Art Monastery - fostering creativity through monasticism

The Art Monastery Project, founded in 2007, is a community of artists dedicated to fostering creativity through commitment to a disciplined, contemplative, and sustainable monastic lifestyle.

Established by American, San Francisco-based artists Betsy McCall and Christopher Fülling, the project works to transform an historic Italian monastery into an international arts production center. The project investigates what the Art Monks refer to as “social sculpture,” developing a diverse variety of visual and performance art in a manner which focuses just as much on the creative process as the final product.

In striving to meld historical tradition with contemporary culture, the Art Monastery presents on-site exhibitions and performances as well as collaborations with the surrounding communities. However, work created within the monastery premieres locally before ever touring internationally.

Previously located in the small Italian town of Calvi dell’Umbria, the Art Monastery relocated to the hilltop town of Labro, approximately seventy minutes north east of Rome. The San Antonio monastery, a former 17^th century Franciscan abbey, now serves as the official home of the Art Monastery Project. The site holds a state-of-the-art 150 seat theater for performances and exhibits. Hotel Colle di Costa and Ristorante Ulisse are also located within the structure.

A radical contemporary experiment in “social sculpture,” the Art Monastery is “ready to indulge visitors without hesitation…”

In addition to Labro, the Art Monastery hosts chapters in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Reno, Bloomington, Chicago, Buffalo, and New York City.

Incantato Tours specializes in a variety of European performance tours. The University of Georgia Chamber Choir will travel with Incantato Tours on a performance tour of Portugal and Spain in May of 2011. We invite you to learn more about the exciting and less traditional performance destination of Portugal.
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, lies in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The westernmost country in Europe, Portugal is bordered to the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and Spain to the north and east. Although originally settled in prehistoric times, Portugal did not become an established nation-state until 1143 during the Christian Reconquista. The country is the self-proclaimed oldest European nation-state.  

In the 15^th and 16^th centuries, as a result of the maritime exploration, Portugal established a global empire that included property possessions in Africa, Asia, and South America, thus becoming the world’s prime economic, political and military power of the time.

Portugal is a developed country with the world’s 19^th highest quality of life, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. It is the 13^th most peaceful and 8^th most globalized country in the world.

Portuguese music encompasses a wide variety of genres. The most renowned is fado, a melancholy urban music normally associated with Portuguese guitar and themes of longing. Fandango is one of the most popular regional dances, a lively Andalusian folk dance performed in triple-meter.

Flag photo courtesy of Wikipedia. Video courtesy of YouTube.

Watch a traditional Fandango dancer perform to the live accompaniment of authentic Portuguese guitarists:

Incantato Impressions: Charming Frascati and Castelli Romani

Incantato concert venue: Burg Hohenzollern

Hohenzollern Castle lies approximately thirty miles south of Stuttgart, Germany, and is considered to be the ancestral seat of the Hohenzollern family who emerged in the Middle Ages to ultimately rule as German Emperors. Located on Mount Hohenzollern, 855 meters above Hechingen and nearby Bisingen, the castle overlooks the Swabian Alb. It was originally constructed in the early 11^th century.

The castle was tragically destroyed following a ten-month siege in 1423 by the imperial cities of Swabia. A second, larger and sturdier castle was completed in 1461 only to fall into disrepair following extended periods of war and an earthquake in the Swabian Alb.

According to historic tale, on a beautiful summer evening in July 1819, the 23-year-old Crown Prince Frederick William of Prussia paid a visit to his ancestral seat on Mount Hohenzollern. So impressed by the romantic castle ruins, he quickly ordered its reconstruction.

After being crowned King Frederick William IV, his royal highness wrote in 1844, “The memories of the year 1819 are exceedingly dear to me and like a pleasant dream, especially the sunset we watched from the bastions… Now a dream of my youth has become one wish, to see the Hohenzollern hill made habitable once more.

Along with his Swabian relatives, the princes of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and Hechingen, and the architect Friedrich August Steuler, the king’s dreams finally came to fruition in 1850 when construction began on the new castle. Resulting was one of the most imposing neo gothic castles in Germany, following the romantic architectural ideal of the era. The main castle complex, with its many towers and turrets, is surrounded by ramps and fortifications, acclaimed by 19^th century contemporaries as masterpieces of military architecture.

Rising majestically above the Swabian Alb, Burg Hohenzollern offers breathtaking panoramic views of the countryside below. The splendid rooms have been furnished by Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia (1907-1994) with valuable works of art highlighting the history of Prussia’s kings and Germany’s emperors. Among the historical artifacts contained within the castle walls are the Crown of Wilhelm II, some of Frederick the Great’s personal effects, and a letter from United States President George Washington thanking the scion of the House of Hohenzollern Baron von Steuben for his service in the American Revolutionary War.

The castle’s Catholic Saint Michael’s Chapel, whose origins date back to the 15^th century, boasts Romanesque sandstone reliefs and 13^th century stained glass windows which depict the earliest images of Hohenzollern heraldry. The romantic chapel’s high vaulted ceilings provide the perfect venue for choral performances, especially traditional madrigal arrangements. 

The Diocese of Evansville experience the Papal Audience mere feet from the Pope

The Diocese of Evansville travelers attended the Papal audience Wednesday morning as part of their 2010 Incantato Performance Tour and Pilgrimage. The group from Indiana experienced the amazing event from special seats (traveling with Bishop Gettelfinger sure had many a benefit), just feet away from his Excellence, the Pope. The choir directed by Jeremy Korba also had the honor and privilege of being the only ensemble to sing at the Papal audience that morning. Below are photos of the Pope and the Evansville group, taken by the official Vatican photographers.

Watch the official Catholic Television video of the September 29, 2010 General Audience:

Incantato Destinations: Leipzig, Germany

Leipzig, with a population of approximately 519,000, is the largest city in the federal state of Saxony, Germany. Since the 17^th century, Leipzig has reigned as a major European center of learning and culture, thriving especially in the fields of music, astronomy, and optics.

Leipzig later played a crucial role in the fall of communism in Eastern Germany, through events taken place in and around the Saint Nikolai Church. Following the Reunification of Germany, Leipzig underwent significant change with the restoration of historical buildings and the development of a modern transportation infrastructure. In 2006, the city hosted key matches during the World Cup.

Leipzig was ranked 35^th of 265 world cities for cultural, economic, and social innovation in 2009. The following year, the city earned the rank of 68^th highest quality of life in the world.

First documented in the 1015, Leipzig has fundamentally shaped by the history of Saxony and the nation of Germany. The city has always held a reputation as a place of great commerce. The Leipzig Trade Fair remains the oldest, and most internationally important, trade fair in the world since its beginning in the Middle Ages. Leipzig probably receives most if its international recognition, however, for its rich and diverse musical history.

Johann Sebastian Bach famously worked in Leipzig from 1723 to 1750. 1813 marked the birth of composer Richard Wagner in Leipzig. Felix Mendelssohn established Germany’ first conservatory of music in Leipzig in 1843, and personally invited Robert Schumann to study there. Gustaz Mahler served as conductor at the Leipzig Theater from 1886 to 1888 where he received great acclamation for completing and presenting Carl Maria von Weber’s opera “Die Drei Pintos.”

The conservatory is now the University of Music and Theater, offering students a broad variety of both performance and education studies in all orchestral instruments, voice, interpretation, coaching, piano chamber music, orchestral and choral conducting, and composition. Musical styles studied at the University include jazz, popular, musical theater, classical, and sacred. The school also hosts a drama department offering classes in acting and dramaturgy.

The city’s musical tradition is also reflected in the worldwide fame of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the choir of the St. Thomas Church. Leipzig has offered for the past sixty years the country’s oldest “School Concert” program, presenting more than 140 concerts annually, educating and inspiring over 40,000 children through music.

Leipzig is also well known for its contemporary, independent music scene and subcultural events. Additionally, the Leipzig Museum of Fine Arts hosts a variety of worldly art, including the Neo Rauch retrospective that opened in April 2010. The New York Times praises Leipzig as the “the toast of the contemporary art world” in the past decade, featuring the city in the Top 10 of its “31 Places to Go” article published, in 2010.  

Leipzig hosts a multitude of annual cultural events throughout the year, including an a capella vocal music festical, Bachfest in honor of Johann Sebastian Bach, the city’s famous holiday Christmas Market, Jazztage contemporary jazz festival, Stadtfest city festival, and the Pop-Up independent music trade fair and festival.