Organ Summer St. Paul's Church Schwerin

Profile

The Organ Summer is the most important concert series for Schwerin's church music. The venue is St. Paul's Church, a Neo-Gothic hall church completed in 1869 in the Werdervorstadt district. The Friese III organ from 1869 – the largest surviving work by this organ builder – is the musical heart and the largest symphonic-romantic instrument in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Concept

Sundays at 5:00 PM from early June to the end of August. Each concert is introduced by a brief talk from the soloists, and after the concert, the parish invites attendees for a glass of wine and an artist discussion. The musical spectrum ranges from Bach and the North German organ school to Romantic works (Reger, Rheinberger, Mendelssohn) and contemporary composers.

Program 2026 — Highlights

The opening on June 2, 2026, at 5:00 PM is dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the organ restoration in 1999: an EVENSONG by the Friedens­kantorei under Christian Domke with organist Jan Ernst. On June 16 and 30, 2026, Matthias Schneider (Hamburg/Greifswald) will perform two concerts; further dates in July and August will follow.

Local Context

St. Paul's Church is a rarely preserved example of North German Neo-Gothic architecture. The Friese III organ – restored in 1999 – is considered the crown jewel of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's romantic organ landscape. The Organ Summer is one of the few festivals based on a single historical instrument, making it an international attraction for organ enthusiasts.