Kammermusikfest Hasselburg

A Manor Courtyard Transformed into a Concert Stage

Gut Hasselburg is located between Neustadt in Holstein and Lensahn in the Ostholstein district, right in the rural landscape of the state of Schleswig-Holstein. The baroque complex, with its classicist manor house and the over 60-meter-long thatched barn, has been one of the most beautiful cultural venues between Lübecker Bucht and Fehmarn for years. During the three festival days, both buildings become a stage: the manor house with its intimate acoustics for the densely programmed chamber music, and the thatched barn for the larger concerts and the grand finale.

String Quartet at the Centre

For years, the artistic direction has been in the hands of Prof. Heime Müller (formerly of the Artemis Quartet), who each year weaves together three invited quartets with a thematic thread. In 2026, the motto is “quartetissimo” — a homage to the genre itself. Three renowned European string quartets will be featured: the Absalon Quartet, Quartett HANA, and the Viatores Quartet. The introductions will be hosted by Prof. Dr. Heinz von Loesch, who gently guides the audience through the works with musicological insights — a hallmark of the festival that combines listening pleasure with understanding.

What to Expect

• Five concerts over three days, tightly scheduled and dramatically composed
• A “Bach am Morgen” (Bach in the Morning) format on Fridays and Saturdays at 10 am — meditative sequences to awaken the senses
• The concluding grand finale on the theme of “Freedom” — Beethoven's late quartets in dialogue with Mendelssohn
• Clearly understandable introductions to the works, avoiding elitist obscurity
• A historic manor courtyard that invites strolls and relaxation beyond the concerts

A Destination for Chamber Music in Northern Germany

The format has established itself in the region: audiences sit close together in the concert hall, travelling from Hamburg, Lübeck, Kiel, and even Denmark. Outside of concert times, the manor courtyard remains open — strolls along the avenue, a glass of wine in the courtyard, conversations with the musicians. Those who love string quartet literature and are not keen on the hustle and bustle of big city concerts will find a northern counterpart here to festivals like Marlboro or Lockenhaus: concentrated, atmospheric, far from any star posturing.