Altenburg Music Festival
Two weeks of classical music, organ artistry, and young artist academies centered around the 1739 Trost Organ
About Altenburg Music Festival
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Classical Music and Organ Artistry between Thuringia and Saxony
The Altenburg Music Festival is one of the most significant classical music and organ festivals in the Central German region. For two weeks in August, it unites the culturally and historically outstanding venues of the Altenburger Land: the Castle Church with the world-famous 1739 Trost Organ, the Brüderkirche, the St. Bartholomäi Church, as well as other castle concerts and open-air stages in the Skatstadt region between the Thuringian Basin and the Saxon Vogtland.
The Trost Organ — A Sonic Monument from 1739
The centerpiece of the festival is the Trost Organ in the Castle Church of Altenburg Residential Palace. Built by Heinrich Gottfried Trost and completed in 1739, it is one of the few large Baroque organs that have survived in an almost original condition. Johann Sebastian Bach knew the instrument personally — a direct connection between the festival program and the cultivation of Bach in Central Germany. Castle Organist Daniel Beilschmidt oversees the instrument and shapes the artistic direction of the festival.
Young Artist Academies as a Hallmark
Three parallel academies make the Altenburg Music Festival unique: the 4th Youth Organ Academy, the inaugural Double Bass Academy in the Brüderkirche, and the 35th Thuringian Organ Academy. This combination of top-tier concerts and targeted promotion of young talent is rare in the German festival landscape. Young organists work on historical instruments for two weeks and perform alongside established soloists in opening and closing concerts.
Highlight: Bach's Mass in B Minor on the Trost Organ
The major musical event of the 2026 festival is the performance of Bach's Mass in B Minor by the Leipzig Ensemble Lachrymae together with Daniel Beilschmidt. As was customary in Bach's time, the grand Trost Organ takes on a continuo and solo function within the orchestra — a sonically authentic experience that makes the work's character from Bach's era immediately tangible. In addition, the program includes opera galas, organ romanticism programs, and open-air concerts (including in Treben).
Altenburg — Skatstadt and Residential City in Thuringia
Altenburg, in the district of the same name, lies at the transition between Thuringia and Saxony. The Skatstadt, with its distinctive Residential Palace, the playing card museum, and the Baroque Brüderkirche, is about a forty-minute drive from Leipzig and ideal for a festival visit. In 2025, the ECHO Chair (European Cities of Historic Organs) declared Altenburg the Center of European Organ Artistry — the music festival is the highlight of this cultural and political distinction.
Altenburg Music Festival — edition 2026
Festival Concept 2026
The 2026 Altenburg Music Festival combines two focal points over sixteen festival days: intensive work with young classical musicians in three academies and a dense concert program at the historic venues of the Altenburger Land. The centerpiece is the Trost Organ in the Castle Church, a sonic monument from 1739, as well as the Sauer Organ in the Brüderkirche.
The grand celebratory concert featuring Bach's Mass in B Minor by the Leipzig Ensemble Lachrymae under Daniel Beilschmidt is a sonically authentic performance: the Trost Organ is integrated into the orchestra as it was in Bach's time. Furthermore, the opening of the Youth Organ Academy brings young organists to the historical instruments — a hallmark of the festival.
Programme Altenburg Music Festival 2026
Altenburg Music Festival 2026 — Program Overview
Festival Period
- Friday, August 14th to Saturday, August 29th, 2026
- Main Venues: Castle Church (Trost Organ), Brüderkirche (Sauer Organ), St. Bartholomäi
- Open-air concert in Treben (Altenburger Land)
Three Academies — The Pillars of the Festival
- ⭐ 4th Youth Organ Academy — Opening concert in the Castle Church
- ⭐ Double Bass Academy (Premiere) — Brüderkirche Altenburg
- ⭐ 35th Thuringian Organ Academy — Castle Church and external venues
Concert Formats
- Celebratory Concert with Ensemble Lachrymae Leipzig & Daniel Beilschmidt — Johann Sebastian Bach: Mass in B Minor BWV 232 with the Trost Organ as continuo within the orchestra
- Organ Gala «Highlights of Organ Music» — Works by Bach, Reger, Widor
- «Organ Romanticism in the Brüderkirche» — Hauke Ehlers and Jens Wiech on the Sauer Organ
- Opera Gala with soloists from the Theater Altenburg Gera
- Open-air concert in Treben
- Closing concerts by academy participants
Organizer
- Mitteldeutsche Orgelgesellschaft Altenburg e.V. — Altenburg Office
- Castle Organist Daniel Beilschmidt — Artistic Director
Detailed daily program and times will be published from June 2026 on orgelgesellschaft.de and in the festival brochure. Contact: [email protected].
Highlights Altenburg Music Festival 2026
- Bach's Mass in B Minor with Ensemble Lachrymae and the Trost Organ
- Three parallel young artist academies (Youth Organ, Double Bass Premiere, 35th Thuringian Organ Academy)
- The 1739 Trost Organ in Altenburg Castle Church
- Castle Organist Daniel Beilschmidt as artistic voice
- Open-air concert in Treben
- Venues: Castle Church, Brüderkirche, St. Bartholomäi
Prices Altenburg Music Festival 2026
Advance sales through the Altenburger Land Tourist Information and at the box offices of the respective concert venues. Prices tiered by concert format. Student discounts available. Detailed prices and festival passes from June 2026 on orgelgesellschaft.de.
Practical information — Altenburg Music Festival
Date 2026
Friday, August 14th to Saturday, August 29th, 2026 — two festival weeks with concerts at various venues.
Venues
Main venues: Castle Church (Trost Organ), Brüderkirche, St. Bartholomäi Church. Open-air concert in Treben. Further venues in the Altenburger Land will be announced on orgelgesellschaft.de starting June 2026.
Tickets
Advance sales through the Altenburger Land Tourist Information, online, and at the box offices of the respective concert venues. Contact: [email protected]. Student discounts are available.
Getting There
By train: ICE to Leipzig, then RB to Altenburg (approx. 40 min). By car: A4 exit Schmölln/Altenburg, then B7 to Altenburg. Parking available at Schlossberg and in the city center.
Accommodation
Hotels and guesthouses in Altenburg and the surrounding areas of Schmölln, Meuselwitz, and Lucka. Early booking recommended.
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Travel to this festival
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Where it takes place Altenburg Music Festival
Schlosskirche, Brüderkirche, St. Bartholomäi und weitere Spielstätten im Altenburger Land
Schloss 2, 04600 Altenburg