Evenitto's guide · Classical music in Germany
Classical concerts: questions and answers
What people ask most before going to a classical concert in Germany.
Finding a concert
Where can I find classical concerts in Germany?
In the calendar on this page. We are starting in Leipzig, Dresden, the Rhine and Ruhr cities and Münster: every day we list the classical concerts on the venue calendars we read, and more halls are on the way. For a full season, check the halls' own sites, such as the Gewandhaus and the Semperoper.
Is there a classical concert tonight?
Very likely. In the big cities there is a classical concert somewhere almost every day, and many more on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The week page shows the ones on our calendar, day by day.
Are there free classical concerts?
Yes. Conservatoires give many concerts with free entry or at small prices, and churches hold organ recitals and choral concerts with a donation at the door. The free page lists every free concert on the calendar.
Which classical music festivals are there in Germany?
The best known are the Leipzig Bachfest in June, the Dresdner Musikfestspiele in May and June, the Klavier-Festival Ruhr from May to July, the Schumannfest in Düsseldorf in June, the Beethovenfest in Bonn in the autumn and the MDR Musiksommer in August.
Going to a concert
How do I get cheap tickets?
Ask about prices for pupils and students and about returns shortly before the start; many orchestras and opera houses offer both. Buy from the hall itself or from the ticket seller the organiser links to: resale sites often charge more than face value.
What do you wear to a classical concert?
There is no dress code. Wear what you would wear to a nice dinner; jeans are fine everywhere. Premieres, galas and opera nights are a little dressier, but nobody is turned away for their clothes.
When do you clap at a classical concert?
At the end of a whole piece, not between its movements: wait until the conductor lowers their arms or turns around. At the opera you can applaud after a big aria. Nobody minds a mistake.
How long does a classical concert last?
Evening concerts usually start at 7:30 or 8 p.m. and last about two hours, including an interval of about twenty minutes. Family concerts last about an hour, and some orchestras play concerts without an interval.
Through the year
When can I hear Bach's Christmas Oratorio?
Mostly in Advent and around Christmas, in churches and concert halls all over Germany. Bach wrote it in 1734 for Leipzig, where it was heard in the Thomaskirche and the Nikolaikirche. Often only cantatas I to III are played, so look for several evenings if you want to hear all six.
Where can I find Christmas concerts?
Throughout December: the Christmas Oratorio, Advent concerts by orchestras and choirs and the boys' choirs of Leipzig and Dresden, then New Year's Eve concerts to close the year. The Christmas page lists those on the calendars we read.
When do the Thomaner sing?
As a rule the Thomaner sing the motet in the Thomaskirche in Leipzig on Fridays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at 3 p.m.; the choir takes a break during school holidays. Current dates are on thomanerchor.de.
About this guide
Which orchestras play in Leipzig, Dresden, Cologne, Düsseldorf, the Ruhr and Münster?
In Leipzig the Gewandhausorchester and the MDR-Sinfonieorchester, in Dresden the Sächsische Staatskapelle at the Semperoper and the Dresdner Philharmonie at the Kulturpalast, in Cologne the Gürzenich-Orchester and the WDR Sinfonieorchester, in Düsseldorf the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, in the Ruhr the philharmonic orchestras of Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg and the Bochumer Symphoniker, and in Münster the Sinfonieorchester Münster. Add conservatoire and chamber orchestras, baroque ensembles and many choirs.
How does Evenitto choose the concerts?
Concerts come from the organisers' own calendars. A ranking puts forward the highlights by venue, performers and date; nothing is hand-picked. Nobody pays to be listed or picked.