Brahms Days Albstadt-Lautlingen

Brahms Days — a new classical music festival in the Zollernalb region

The Brahms Days Albstadt-Lautlingen is a new classical music festival that will launch its premiere edition in 2026. The initiator is Michael Wendeberg (born 1974 in Ebingen/Schwäbische Alb), an internationally acclaimed pianist and conductor — working at the Berlin State Opera, the Berliner Festspiele, and international venues, among others. With a group of fellow soloists, Wendeberg dedicates himself to the work and world of Johannes Brahms — and brings this world to a special location: Stauffenberg Castle in his hometown of Lautlingen.

Stauffenberg Castle Lautlingen — a historic venue

Stauffenberg Castle in Lautlingen (now a district of Albstadt) is a historic venue of exceptional significance: the Stauffenberg brothers — Berthold, Alexander, and especially Claus von Stauffenberg (the leader of the July 20, 1944 assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler) — spent their childhood and youth here. The castle is now a museum and event location that honors the Stauffenberg family and their history. With the Brahms Days 2026, the castle becomes a classical music festival venue, connecting music with the history of the place.

Program — Brahms from three perspectives

The three concerts illuminate Johannes Brahms from different perspectives:
• "Intimate Communications" — Music and letters by Robert and Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms; a chamber concert that vividly portrays the personal connections between the three composers.
• "Let the Strings Weep, Lament" — Brahms and the Balkans: the interplay between Brahms's German Romanticism and the strong influence of Eastern European, especially Hungarian, musical traditions.
• Viennese Homage — Works by Johann Strauss, Alexander Zemlinsky, Brahms, and Fritz Kreisler; Vienna as the musical capital of Brahms's world.
Soloist: Hagar Sharvit, mezzo-soprano from Tel Aviv, prize winner of the International Johannes Brahms Competition, among others.

Albstadt and the Zollernalb District

Albstadt (Zollernalbkreis, AGS 08417, around 46,000 inhabitants) is located in the Swabian Jura at an altitude of about 730 meters, making it one of Germany's highest-altitude cities. The city was formed in 1975 from the merger of Ebingen, Tailfingen, and seven other municipalities — including Lautlingen. With Stauffenberg Castle in Lautlingen, Albstadt boasts a venue of outstanding historical significance — and with the Brahms Days, a new cultural hallmark.