by Linda Ebener

Even though Mozart’s Requiem initially tells of darkness and death, the new chief conductor of the NDR Radio Philharmonic, Stanislav Kochanovsky, conducts with ease and a smile on his face. This is passed on to the musicians.

For him, Mozart’s Requiem is a project close to his heart: “This year I am celebrating my debut at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. A special moment for me, because one of my big dreams is coming true. Even as a child I wanted to conduct Mozart’s Requiem. I sang it almost every year with the Glinka Choir and large orchestras in the St. Petersburg Philharmonic. Now at the SHMF I will conduct Mozart’s Requiem for the first time – an unforgettable moment for me.

Great enthusiasm among the audience

The audience enjoyed the opening with conductor Stanislav Kochanovsky and the end of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. The conductor enchanted the audience with his likeable art. “It was impressive how he conducted without a baton, just with his hands and his whole body expression. Young and energetic, I liked it a lot,” enthused one spectator. “Very good, it was a fantastic concert with a conductor who led the orchestra wonderfully and directed the choir properly,” enthused another spectator. And a lady said that the music “went really deep”.

Successful start of new cooperation

Violinist Daniel Hope at the first major final concert of the SHMF in Kiel on 31.08.2024

This final concert was a special one, says festival director Christian Kuhnt: “The new chief conductor of the NDR Radio Philharmonic, Stanislav Kochanovsky, wanted the program like this. And when someone is new, you naturally listen especially carefully. Then you are polite, and then you fulfill every wish.” We can’t imagine a better start to our collaboration with Mr. Kochanovsky.

In addition to the conductor and the four vocal soloists, the audience was particularly impressed by the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Choir, with its over 100 volunteer singers.

New city focus 2025: Istanbul

The city of Istanbul will be the focus of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in 2025.

This brings the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival to an end for this year. Planning for 2025 is already in full swing. There is a new city focus, says Christian Kuhnt happily: “We discussed incredibly intensively, examined various options and let ourselves be drawn under the spell of the metropolis of Istanbul. We are incredibly excited to go to the Bosporus after London and Venice and die.” To present the diversity, the wealth, the different flavors of the city of Istanbul as part of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. The new festival program will be officially published next year in February.

More information

There were more than 200 concerts at over 70 different locations in Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Denmark and northern Lower Saxony. more

The Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival ended with two dramatic works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the “Tre Pezzi” by Girolamo Frescobaldi. more

Stanislav Kochanovsky will succeed Andrew Manze at the NDR Radiophilharmonie from the 2024/25 season. more

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With more than 200 concerts in 120 different venues, the focus was on Venice. The portrait artist was a saxophonist. 3 Min

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The world-famous tenor performed in Wesselburen with the lautten compagney BERLIN. Asya Fateyeva asked him why he was so impressed. 1 min

Susanne Geerts has been volunteering for the SHMF since 2007. During this time she has experienced many wonderful things. more