MainzMusik 2026 — sound.change

The Mainz University of Music (HfM) is part of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and is one of Germany's younger, yet rapidly established, university music institutions. With its MainzMusik annual festival, the university presents itself in its full breadth once a year—as an educational, research, and concert institution.

The 2026 edition takes place from February 20 to 27 and is themed sound.change. The title combines two keywords: sound as the fundamental essence of music, and change as movement, transformation, societal, and technological shifts. The festival explores how musical practice positions itself in an era of constant change—digitalization, climate crisis, societal diversity, listening habits.

The venues include the university's concert halls on campus, the university auditorium, the student theater, and various Mainz venues—churches, museums, concert halls, and occasionally unconventional spaces like libraries or industrial buildings.

The program spectrum is intentionally broad: concerts featuring works from all eras from the Renaissance to the present day, chamber music evenings, solo recitals, orchestral concerts, vocal projects, jazz and improvisation evenings, electroacoustic performances, workshops with faculty and guest lecturers, lecture-recitals (concerts with commentary), sound art installations, and participatory formats.

Students are centrally involved—the festival is a showcase of their work. Additionally, university faculty and international guests enrich the program through masterclasses, workshops, and concert contributions.

MainzMusik is largely accessible free of charge; individual concerts and special events are offered for a small admission fee. The event is aimed equally at a professional audience (music students, music enthusiasts, musicians) and the general music-loving public of Mainz.