Dresden Music Festival

A Festival of International Standing

Since its founding in 1978, the Dresdner Musikfestspiele has been one of Europe's most important classical music festivals. Every year in late spring, the international classical scene gathers in Dresden – with top orchestras, acclaimed soloists, and a programmatic openness that has long extended beyond pure classical music. Jazz, world music, dance, theatre, and comedy are now just as much a part of its profile as symphony concerts and chamber music evenings.

Jan Vogler and His Artistic Ambition

Cellist Jan Vogler has directed the festival since 2009, developing it into a forum where top artists from various genres meet. Each edition follows an overarching theme that shapes the program. Vogler also uses the festival to foster dialogue between historically informed performance practice and contemporary sound language – most recently, for example, in the Wagner cycles, which re-examine Wagner's works with historical instruments.

Venues Throughout the City

The concerts are spread across more than two dozen venues – from the grand halls of the Semperoper, Kulturpalast, and Frauenkirche to intimate spaces like the Albertinum, Pillnitz Castle, or the Transparent Factory. Unusual locations such as industrial halls or churches in the Neustadt are also part of the program. The geographical distribution makes the festival a city-wide event, transforming all of Dresden into a concert stage.

In the Context of Saxony

Dresden, the capital of the state of Saxony and seat of the Saxon State Government in the district-free municipality (AGS 14612), has always been a center of European musical culture. The Sächsische Staatskapelle, the Dresdner Philharmonie, and the Festspielorchester under Kent Nagano represent a 500-year musical tradition, which finds its annual climax in the Musikfestspiele.

A Magnet for Music Lovers

The festival attracts an international audience to Dresden every year. Concerts are often sold out months in advance, especially the opening and closing events, as well as the major orchestral concerts. Anyone visiting Dresden between mid-May and mid-June cannot escape the festival fever.