47th International Autumn Days for Music Iserlohn

47th International Autumn Days for Music — Iserlohn's Classical Chamber Music Highlight

For almost five decades now, the International Autumn Days for Music Iserlohn have been one of Westphalia's most important chamber music events. The 47th edition from September 22 to 27, 2026, once again focuses on a specific instrument as its thematic anchor — in 2026, it's the violin — combining a concert program with an international masterclass for young talent. Conceived and supported by the City of Iserlohn in cooperation with the Parktheater and the Iserlohn Music School.

Artist in Residence 2026: Lena Neudauer

Violinist Lena Neudauer — an internationally acclaimed soloist, teacher at the Saarland University of Music, and solo artist for renowned labels — is the 2026 Artist in Residence. She will perform the opening concert, lead the masterclass with other international lecturers, and perform the closing concert with the Hagen Philharmonic Orchestra. The "Artist in Residence" format has been a core element of the Autumn Days since the 2010s, creating a thematic link between concerts and masterclasses.

Program — Six Days of Violin in Iserlohn

Opening Concert "Splendor of the Violin"

Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 8:00 PM — Löbbeckesaal Parktheater. Lena Neudauer (violin) with Paul Rivinius on piano. Works from the Baroque to the 20th century, a classical program format with sonatas, pieces, and virtuoso solos.

International Masterclass

Wednesday, September 23 - Friday, September 25 — Iserlohn Music School. Young violinists from around the world will receive instruction from Lena Neudauer and guest lecturers. The masterclass is open to auditors with day tickets — a close-up insight into top-level pedagogical work.

Concert by Scholarship Holders

Friday, September 25, 2026, 8:00 PM. Workshop concert: the masterclass participants will present what they have worked on over the three days. Regular admission, often very lively — young talents, freshly polished.

Closing Concert

Sunday, September 27, 2026, 11:00 AM — Parktheater. Lena Neudauer with the Hagen Philharmonic Orchestra and the Music School Symphony Orchestra, Conductor: Sebastian Lang-Lessing. A concert program centered around a violin concerto. The Sunday morning slot is a tradition of the Autumn Days and has been sold out for years.

Parktheater Iserlohn — Historic Festival Venue

The Parktheater Iserlohn with its Löbbeckesaal has been the main venue for the Autumn Days since the 1980s. The acoustically excellent hall with approximately 600 seats is Westphalia's established address for chamber music in the grand chamber style — unlike the intimate concert halls of smaller festivals, the Löbbeckesaal allows for large orchestral accompaniments, such as the closing concert with the Hagen Philharmonic Orchestra.

Iserlohn Music School — The Other Side of the Festival

The Iserlohn Music School in the city center hosts the masterclasses and the scholarship holders' concert. This makes the Music School not just a practice venue but an integral festival partner — Iserlohn's young music students experience world-class pedagogy in their own premises, a cross-generational concept that is rare in Germany.

Iserlohn — A Medium-Sized City Between Sauerland and Ruhr Area

The district town of Iserlohn, with its approximately 92,000 inhabitants, is the largest town in the Märkischer Kreis district and lies at the transition from the Ruhr area to the Sauerland. Industrial history (metal processing, foundations), Altena Castle as the birthplace of the Wandervogel movement, and the Dechenhöhle cave as a natural wonder shape the cityscape. With the Autumn Days for Music, Iserlohn has a cultural flagship format that significantly extends the city's regional importance beyond its population size — a model that other medium-sized cities could emulate with large festival formats.