Church Music Festival Hof – 650 Years of Organs in Hof

650 Years of Organ History in Hof

Hof, a city of around 45,000 inhabitants, is an independent city in the extreme northeast of Bavaria, situated at the transition between the Franconian Forest and the Fichtelgebirge mountains. The city boasts an astonishingly long organ history: as early as 1376, organs were documented in the monasteries of the Franciscans and Poor Clares. This makes Hof one of the oldest documented organ locations in Franconia and Bavaria – only Nuremberg (1345) and Eichstätt (1348) are older in written records. In 2026, the anniversary date "650 Years of Organs in Hof" marks a major year for Hof's church music.

Curated by City and Deanery Cantor Dr. Ludger Stühlmeyer

The conception and execution are the responsibility of Dr. Ludger Stühlmeyer, City and Deanery Cantor of Hof. Stühlmeyer is a nationally recognized figure in Catholic church music – composer, music researcher, conductor – and has designed the festival as a scientifically grounded concert program with historical accents. The patron is Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann, who personally opened the event on May 3rd.

~20 Events from May to October

The festival is not a compact weekend but is spread over half a year: from early May to the end of October 2026. Approximately 20 events of various formats – concerts, workshops, lectures, organ matinees, organ nights – offer diverse access points. The advantage of this broad distribution is that visitors can attend individual concerts and tailor the festival to their own tastes. Detailed program information is available via the Pro Hof website and the city's tourism office.

The Opening on May 3, 2026

The highlight of the opening was a celebratory service in St. Marien, Hof's oldest parish church, featuring:

• the Missa de angelis – a famous Gregorian mass setting from the 14th century
• a 12th-century chorale, recently rediscovered from an old Hof manuscript and heard for the first time in about 500 years
• participation of Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann as patron
• around 200 guests at the opening

Exhibition "Wood, Metal, Wind, and Heavenly Sounds"

The festival is accompanied by an exhibition titled "Wood, Metal, Wind, and Heavenly Sounds – 650 Years of Organs in Hof". It showcases historical organ pipes, manuals, plans, photographs, and documents spanning 650 years of Hof's organ history. Admission to the exhibition is free.

Hof and the Franconian Forest as Festival Region

Hof is the administrative seat of the district of the same name, located at the transition from Upper Franconia to Saxony and Thuringia. The city is a hub on the ICE high-speed train line between Munich and Berlin, making it easily accessible. A festival visit can be combined with a stay in the Franconian Forest, Fichtelgebirge, or Vogtland region.