Martha Argerich Festival

A Festival Homage to a Piano Legend

Martha Argerich, born in 1941 in Buenos Aires, is one of the most significant pianists of her generation. Her playing style – impulsive, highly virtuosic, highly concentrated – has shaped generations of musicians. Since 2018, the Symphoniker Hamburg have honored the pianist with their own festival bearing her name, which also incorporates her curatorial voice.

Three Venues, One Program

The festival utilizes three very different Hamburg concert halls:

• The Laeiszhalle – Hamburg's traditional concert hall from the early 20th century – is the main venue with its acoustically perfect halls.
• The Elbphilharmonie – the iconic concert hall at the tip of HafenCity – represents the international radiance of Hamburg's music scene.
• The Mojo Club on the Reeperbahn – a jazz club with historic charm – provides the surprising counterpoint for intimate chamber and jazz concerts.

Classical, Jazz, and Japan

The 2026 program combines three clearly recognizable strands:

• Classical / Chamber Music: all Beethoven Violin Sonatas on an opening day with Maxim Vengerov; appearances by Mischa Maisky (Cello), Michael Volle (Baritone), Mikhail Pletnev (Piano)
• Jazz and Lieder: "Lieder ohne Grenzen" (Songs Without Borders) – an art song evening in the Mojo Club
• Japanese Tradition: two evenings exploring the dialogue between Japanese culture and Beethoven

The Symphoniker Hamburg under Cambreling

The festival's resident orchestra is the Symphoniker Hamburg – not to be confused with the NDR Radiophilharmonie or the Hamburger Philharmoniker. The Symphoniker are the concert orchestra of the Laeiszhalle and will be led for the 2026 festival by the French conductor Sylvain Cambreling, a specialist in modern and romantic repertoire.

Hamburg as a City of Classical Music

Hamburg has established itself as one of Europe's most important classical music metropolises in the last 15 years – since the construction of the Elbphilharmonie in 2017. With the Laeiszhalle, Elbphilharmonie, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Symphoniker Hamburg, and several private concert series, the city offers an exceptional density of classical music. The Martha Argerich Festival fits into this ecosystem, providing the city with its own late-summer classical highlight.