The programme announcement for Beethovenfest 2025 was »all ultra«. The invited guests were given a sneak preview of the festival at a late night show in Fabrik 45 in Bonn. It left everyone wanting more!
We are all Ultras! This became clear during the late-night show, when the programme for Beethovenfest 2025 was presented for the first time. 1Live presenter Bianca Hauda led the way, describing herself as a Bonn Ultra. She invited festival artists, organisers, and Bonn’s Mayor, Katja Dörner, on stage and asked them what »Alles ultra« means to them. The answers varied, as does the festival programme under this motto.
The indie-scene-charm of Fabrik 45 in Bonn provided the perfect atmosphere for this introduction to the festival’s extreme vibe. A specially assembled show band played fast-paced jingles composed by Stefan Behrisch to frame the evening. This band comprised four string players from this year’s Beethovenfest Talents, two fellows, percussionist Bernhard Schimpelsberger and bass trombonist Maxine Troglauer, as well as keyboardist Felix Waltz.
The mayor is ultra curious
As the Lord Mayor of the federal City of Bonn, the festival’s main sponsor, Katja Dörner was delighted to attend the programme launch. »As Mayor, I meet many different people and am confronted with new topics all the time. I would say I’m ultra-curious«, she said, answering the question of what »Alles ultra« means to her personally. The politician is delighted that Beethovenfest continues to have a consistent impact on urban society by opening itself up to everyone while preserving Beethoven’s legacy at the highest level.
Steven Walter sees himself as constitutional Ultra
»Last year, we celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Basic Law. It might sound cheesy, but I would describe myself as a Basic Law Ultra. It contains are many positive aspects that we should be aware of.« This is how Artistic Director Steven Walter relates to the motto personally. He also explains his idea about this motto, which comes from a letter written by Goethe exactly 200 years ago. »Goethe complains about the confusion of his time – a feeling with which we are all too familiar. But we want to celebrate the opportunities of the Ultra, the extraordinary within us all, and the diversity and freedom.«
Presenter Bianca Hauda challenged him to include as many concert recommendations as possible in 60 seconds. The top 5 recommendations were the parallel opening concerts: the Aurora Orchestra at the Bonn Opera and rapper Samy Deluxe on the market square, as well as Anastasia Kobekina with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the 12 cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, and the closing concert with the Budapest Festival Orchestra.
Soloists with the special touch
There was plenty of music that evening. In addition to the brilliant show band, three festival artists performed solo pieces that thrilled the audience. They also talked about their festival projects in the interviews. Maxine Troglauer is using her fellowship to reimagine the classical concert, challenging all categories with a diverse repertoire ranging from medieval music to jazz and self-composed pieces. She went on playing her own piece »Epilogue«: rarely do you hear the bass trombone with such soft, gentle tones.
Bernhard Schimpelsberger spoke about his travels between cultures and his fascination with intricate rhythms. This is what he loves about the Indian tabla tradition, which he has studied. He gave an improvised example of this using his drum and the rhythmic language of Konnakol.
Violinist Jonian Ilias Kadesha also came on stage for a brief interview. At Beethovenfest, he will perform »something almost impossible: a Beethoven symphony« with his Trio Gaspard. He then impressed the audience with the expressive solo Ciaccona by the contemporary composer Helena Winkelman.
The four Beethovenfest Talents performed the first movement of Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 1 — this haunting piece will form part of the Shostakovich cycle with the Jerusalem Quartet at the festival. This year’s Beethovenfest resident ensemble sent their greetings via video message. The other artist in residence, cellist Anastasia Kobekina, and soprano Golda Schultz also sent digital messages.
Student Management Director has everything under control
The youngest panellist was not yet 18 years old but was already an Artistic Director. David Maintz is part of the current Student Management team at Beethovenfest. »The Student Managers are a small team within the team of the festival. We take complete responsibility for organising one concert«, he explains. What particularly characterises him as an Artistic Director? »I always know what my team needs at any given time.« This is a good prerequisite for successfully organising the concert by percussionist Alexei Gerassimez in the Dransdorf tram hall!
Juri de Marco gets the room to sing
As the last guest, Bianca Hauda invited the brand new Beethovenfest Community Musician onto the stage. But what exactly is community music? Juri de Marco said, »I can demonstrate it more effectively than I can explain it.« He therefore asked the people in the room to improvise together, using simple hand signals for guidance. The result was an amazing harmony that unfolded between everyone. This is further proof that anyone can make music, which is the basic idea behind community music.
Bonn’s Ultras – taken from real life
The programme release is intended for press representatives, but some guests of honour were also invited. Among them were two of the models who appeared in the photo series created by photographer Patrick Essex under the motto »Alles ultra«. He sought out everyday ultras in Bonn and the surrounding area. Kristina, a TikTok influencer based in Bonn and a bon vivant in her eighties, and Lara, a dancer with the 1st Bonn Show Dance Club, have viewed their portraits in the exhibition. The pictures can be found in the printed programme magazine for Festival 2025.