Berlin Bach Days St. Marien
Annual Bach Festival of St. Marien Church Berlin with concerts, organ music, and a major oratorio for the Passiontide
About Bach Days St. Marien
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St. Marienkirche — Heart of Old Berlin
The St. Marienkirche on Karl-Liebknecht-Straße is Berlin's second-oldest parish church after St. Nicholas' Church. Built from 1270 onwards, it is a Gothic hall church made of Brandenburg brick, with the famous Dance of Death fresco (around 1485) inside. It is one of the few medieval churches in Berlin that survived the bombing war. The church forms a contrasting anchor in the cityscape — a 750-year-old sacred building stands right next to the TV Tower at Alexanderplatz.
The Bach Days as a Tradition
The Berlin Bach Days have established themselves as an annual festival in the 2010s. They follow a clearly structured format: two weeks around the Passiontide (typically March), with a program of lectures on Bach's life and work, short organ recitals (often 20 minutes, free admission), longer organ concerts, and a central major work — usually one of the Passions or a cantata from the Bach repertoire. The spectrum ranges from Buxtehude to Krebs, from early Baroque to Bach's sons and relatives.
Marie-Louise Schneider and Aurum Vocale
The musical director is St. Marien's choirmaster Marie-Louise Schneider. She regularly works with the vocal ensemble Aurum Vocale, the MarienVokalensemble, the Aris et Aulis Baroque Orchestra, and various soloists. The concept focuses on historically informed performance practice with chamber music ensembles — not a monumental mass choir, but transparent, dense interpretations.
Program 2026 — St. Matthew Passion
The focus of the 2026 Bach Days is a performance of the St. Matthew Passion BWV 244, Bach's great Passion oratorio from 1727. The performance on Sunday, March 29, 2026, at 7 p.m. in St. Marienkirche uses a chamber music version by French conductor Dominique Sourisse, arranged for a small baroque ensemble — while fully preserving the liturgical and dramatic content. The day before, on Saturday, March 28, 2026, a parallel performance will take place at the Passionskirche Berlin-Kreuzberg.
Bach Days St. Marien — edition 2026
The 2026 festival program focuses on a central performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion BWV 244. With its Gothic acoustics, St. Marienkirche offers one of Berlin's most resonant sacred spaces for such a work. Dominique Sourisse's chamber music version reduces the ensemble size compared to Bach's original score but fully preserves the liturgical and dramatic substance of the Passion. Duration approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes with a short intermission.
The 2026 Bach Days thus continue the tradition of previous years — in 2025, the St. Mark Passion BWV 247 was the focus, preceded by various Bach works and lectures on Bach's family and oeuvre. For 2026, the St. Matthew Passion is programmed in a double performance: Saturday in Kreuzberg, Sunday in Mitte.
Programme Bach Days St. Marien 2026
Saturday, March 28, 2026, 7 p.m. — Passionskirche Berlin-Kreuzberg
- St. Matthew Passion BWV 244 — chamber music version by Dominique Sourisse
- Aurum Vocale + MarienVokalensemble + Aris et Aulis Baroque Orchestra
- Conducted by: Marie-Louise Schneider and Johannes Stolte
Sunday, March 29, 2026, 7 p.m. — St. Marienkirche Berlin-Mitte (Main Concert)
- St. Matthew Passion BWV 244 with the same ensemble
- Soloists: Marie Luise Werneburg (soprano), Susanne Langner (alto), Stephan Gähler (tenor/evangelist), Aaron Selig (Christus), Sebastian Noack (bass)
- Duration approx. 2 hrs. 15 min. with a short intermission
Accompanying Program of the Bach Days
- Lectures on Bach's life and work at St. Marienkirche and in the Georgensaal (Klosterstraße 66)
- Short organ recitals with works by Buxtehude, Bach, Krebs
- Organ tours
- Church services with Bach cantatas from the Bach family
Tickets via aurum-vocale.de and the parish. Detailed program of accompanying events on marienkirche-berlin.de.
Highlights Bach Days St. Marien 2026
- St. Matthew Passion BWV 244 in a chamber music version by Dominique Sourisse
- Main concert Sunday, March 29, 2026, 7 p.m., St. Marienkirche Berlin-Mitte
- Parallel performance Saturday, March 28, 2026, 7 p.m., Passionskirche Berlin-Kreuzberg
- Aurum Vocale + MarienVokalensemble + Aris et Aulis Baroque Orchestra
- Conducted by: Marie-Louise Schneider and Johannes Stolte
- Tickets from €10 (up to €25 Category 1)
Prices Bach Days St. Marien 2026
Tickets €25 / €20 / €10 depending on category. Reservations via aurum-vocale.de and the parish of St. Marien-Friedrichswerder Berlin. Lectures and short organ recitals usually free admission.
Practical information — Bach Days St. Marien
Getting There
St. Marienkirche, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 8, 10178 Berlin (Mitte district). S+U Alexanderplatz, approx. 3 minutes walk. Located directly next to the TV Tower.
Admission
Lectures and short organ recitals usually free admission. Organ concerts from 10 Euros (reduced). Major concerts (e.g., St. Matthew Passion 2026): 25 / 20 / 10 Euros depending on category.
Good to Know
Tickets for major concerts via aurum-vocale.de and the parish. The church offers approx. 800 seats; early booking is recommended for popular concerts. Church service components of the Bach Days are generally open to all.
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Travel to this festival
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Where it takes place Bach Days St. Marien
St. Marienkirche Berlin-Mitte
Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 8, 10178 Berlin