Weiden Max Reger Days

Max Reger and Weiden

Max Reger (1873–1916) spent most of his youth in Weiden in der Oberpfalz. The city has honored this connection since the early 1990s with its own festival, the Weiden Max Reger Days. Today, it is one of the most important festival platforms for Reger's work in the German-speaking world and maintains close contact with the international Max Reger Society.

Programmatic Approach

The focus is on Reger's diverse oeuvre: organ works, piano and chamber music, song cycles, choral and orchestral works. The festival combines solo recitals by top-class performers (in the past, for example, ARD prizewinner Michael Schöch on organ and piano) with song recitals, chamber music, and readings – supplemented by moderated introductions to the works by renowned Reger experts. The individual concerts are integrated into a changing festival dramaturgy that thematically supports the festival motto (e.g., "Everything Reger").

Venues: Old Town Hall and Max Reger Hall

The festival center is the historic Old Town Hall at Oberer Markt 1, with its acoustically acclaimed hall – an ideal venue for intimate song recitals and chamber music. For larger programs, the festival uses the Max Reger Hall, the municipal concert and congress center. Both venues contribute to a festival atmosphere that gains particular authenticity in the composer's birthplace.

Young Voices and Masterclasses

The Max Reger Days have a strong focus on emerging talent: masterclasses and concerts by young prize winners bring the next generation of performers to Weiden. This positions the festival not only as a performance platform but also as a teaching and research format – supported by the city of Weiden and its cultural administration.

A Festival with a Connection to the City

With around 2,000 visitors per year, the Max Reger Days are not a mega-event, but a clearly positioned classical festival with supra-regional appeal. Those who want to experience Reger and the Oberpfalz in one place – including a walk to the Max Reger House and Max Reger Park – will find a unique setting here.