Mittelrhein Musik Festival – Opening Bendorf

In recent years, the Mittelrhein Musik Festival has established itself as a fixture of concert culture on the Middle Rhine. With concerts at special venues between Bingen, Koblenz, and Andernach – including castles, abbeys, industrial monuments, and concert halls – the festival combines top-class music with the region's cultural heritage. The artistic director is Daniel Hope. The 2026 season opening will take place on May 28 in the Historic Foundry Hall of the Sayn Ironworks in Bendorf-Sayn.

The Sayn Ironworks, built from 1830 onwards by Prussian architect Carl Ludwig Althans, is considered one of the most important 19th-century industrial monuments in Europe. The Foundry Hall, a three-nave cast-iron structure with a cathedral-like appearance, was once a place of iron processing and is now a fascinating event space with exceptional acoustics. The hall is part of the Middle Rhine Valley's World Heritage application and is one of the festival's most spectacular locations.

The Andrea Motis Trio from Catalonia will be performing at the opening. Andrea Motis, born in Barcelona in 1995, is considered one of the most exciting European jazz voices of her generation. With her clear soprano voice, virtuosic trumpet playing, and unusual stage presence, she has made an international name for herself – performances at the Newport Jazz Festival, at the Blue Note New York, and tours with Quincy Jones attest to this. Her repertoire ranges from classic standards and Bossa Nova to her own compositions.

The concert in the Sayn Ironworks combines the intimacy of the trio format with the monumental effect of the venue. The historic Foundry Hall, with its cast-iron columns and brickwork, creates an atmosphere that goes far beyond a typical concert setting. Those who want to experience top-level jazz in one of Germany's most extraordinary venues should mark this date.