Events in June

 

300 Years Bach in Leipzig

Various events at various locations

Leipzig celebrates the 300th anniversary of Bach’s appointment as a cantor. Various events around the city take place within a cooperation of the St. Thomas Choir, Gewandhaus Orchestra, St. Thomas Church, St. Nicholas Church and Bach Archive Leipzig.
https://www.bach300.de/en/events-tickets/page/2/

Bach Festival – Bach for Future

June 8 to June 18

Various events at various locations

https://www.bachfestleipzig.de/de/bachfest/

Johann Sebastian Bach’s works will be heard from June 8 to 18, 2023 under the motto “Bach for Future. Bach’s music will be presented in new contexts: With a large crowd of fantastic Bach Festival debutants, fresh formats and some surprising adaptations and reinterpretations of well-known works.

 

Special exhibition / Johann Sebastian Bach: Clear the stage!

Guided tour in English

June 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 at 11am

Bach Museum
https://www.bachmuseumleipzig.de/de/veranstaltungskalender/2023

The Bach Archive‘s purpose is to research the life, work and history of the composer to preserve his legacy and to communicate it as an educational asset.

photo: https://www.bach-leipzig.de/de/neutral/wir-ueber-uns; Bach-Museum

Picture credits: Maria Lassnig, Über die Präzision der Gefühle (On the Precision of Feelings), 1992 © Maria Lassnig Stiftung / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2023. Photo: Roland Krauss

 

Before/After. Destruction of cultural sites in Ukraine

Exhibition from February 25 until May 31

German National Library

https://www.dnb.de/EN/Kulturell/BeforeAfter/beforeafter_node.html;jsessionid=0F85EE6F3182E97EFFD9CD9ADF355EE0.intranet661

„The invading Russian forces have been destroying Ukraine’s cultural sites and heritage since the very first day. The war is murdering people, ravaging cities and infrastructures, and leaving devastation, misery and ruin in its wake. As preservers of cultural identity, museums and libraries have been hit particularly hard: the war has already laid waste to well over 500 cultural institutions and areas of public life. Valuable testimonies to Ukrainian and European identity have been lost forever.“

 

ART DECO PORCELLAIN. From the collection Prof. Peter W. Schatt

Ongoing exhibition

Grassimuseum

https://www.feinkostgenossenschaft.de/veranstaltungen2/

„Located somewhere between ornament and utilitarian object, the porcelain jars of the 1920s and early 1930s captivate with playful forms, teasing handles and great joy of colour. The abstraction of nature with leaf and vine motifs, decorations with an expressive style and strict geometries interpenetrate here. The so-called jagged style of the adjoining pillar hall can also be found on a small scale in the exhibits in the display cases.“

 

Maria Lassnig: On the Precision of Feelings

Ongoing exhibition

Academy of fine arts Leipzig

https://www.stadtgeschichtliches-museum-leipzig.de/en/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/leipzig-as-the-city-of-music-during-national-socialism/

„With the exhibition Maria Lassnig: On the Precision of Feelings, the Gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig presents the development of the Austrian artist’s drawn oeuvre. Around 60 drawings will be shown, which were produced between 1947 and 2012 and primarily depict the female body using a differentiated register of sensations. In addition, a selection of Lassnig’s animated films can be seen, which she made in the 1970s proceeding from her “body awareness drawings” in the context of feminist movements in New York.“

Flea Market

April 1, 10am to 4pm

Flea market

Feinkost Leipzig

https://www.feinkostgenossenschaft.de/veranstaltungen2/

Various clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry, perfumes, decoration – shopping lovers will find something for their own closet for sure! Culinary delicacies prettify the shopping Sunday!

Photo Source: https://www.leipzig-leben.de

Independence! Photographs from Ukraine 1991-2022

Ongoing exhibition

https://www.hdg.de/en/zeitgeschichtliches-forum-leipzig/exhibitions/independence-photographs-from-ukraine-1991-2022

„The works of well-known Ukrainian photographers in our photo exhibition illustrate that the outbreak of war is not the beginning, but the dramatic escalation of a conflict between two states that has existed for a long time. They tell of the eventful history of the second largest European country since its independence in 1991.“

 

 

The Music City of Leipzig in the Nazi Era

Ongoing exhibition

Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig

https://www.stadtgeschichtliches-museum-leipzig.de/en/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/leipzig-as-the-city-of-music-during-national-socialism/

„Thanks to its rich heritage of music, Leipzig managed to preserve its outstanding position in Germany’s music world from 1933 to 1945. On seizing power 90 years ago, the Nazis began systematically enforcing conformity in the music scene. Concert houses and music theatres were highly regulated, “undesirable” artists were ousted, unwanted composers were omitted from programmes and banned from churches and concert halls. This campaign culminated in the banishment and annihilation of Jewish musicians and music publishers. At the same time, the illusion of the “flourishing city of music” was preserved. Quite a few renowned composers, soloists, lecturers and conductors benefited from the “newly vacated” positions or ingratiated themselves into the system.“

 

Internationale Wochen gegen Rassismus / International Weeks agains racism

Throughout March

Programme: to be announced

Here you find further information.

The programme of the international weeks will be announced at the beginning of March. We can expect various events – discussions, workshops, films, information evenings, get-togethers, exhibitions – by different persons, organisations etc.

Hidden Places at the German National Library

March 17, 4 pm

Guided tour

German National Library

https://mdbk.de/en/exhibitions/olga-costa-dialoge-mit-der-mexikanischen-moderne/

„What could be more exciting than taking a look behind the scenes? With over 600 rooms, the German National Library in Leipzig is a veritable El Dorado of unique spaces and stories. This evening tour offers a look behind some of the usually locked doors in one of Germany’s biggest libraries.“

Es war zweimal / Twice upon a time

March 8, 9, 31

Dance performance

Theater der Jungen Welt

https://www.theaterderjungenweltleipzig.de/en/wann-what/stueckdetail/es-war-zweimal

„The world as we know it – two dancers turn it upside down, full of joy of discovery. A tête-à-tête of reality and fantasy. A piece for the very young and for all those who prefer to experience theatre in a more relaxed atmosphere.“

 

Picture credits: Stadt Leipzig (https://static.leipzig.de/fileadmin/mediendatenbank/leipzig-de/Stadt/02.1_Dez1_Allgemeine_Verwaltung/18_Ref_Migration_und_Integration/Internationale_Wochen_gegen_Rassismus/IWgR_2023/Motiv_Antirassismuswochen_2023_Misch_Dich_ein___Stiftung_gegen_Rassismus.jpg)

Picture credits: VG Bild-Kunst Bonn 2022 / SOMAAP; Olga Cota: La vendedora de frutas, 1951

 

Britfilms

During February

Movies in English

https://britfilms.de/

„This year, five films are appearing in BRITFILMS, which are not only interesting for all age groups from 8 to 18, but also reflect the diversity of English-language film, from the dreary suburbs in which one of the protagonists has to spend the summer in a disgruntled mood to the wild, colorful imagination of a young sibling couple.”

 

Olga Costa. Dialogues with Mexican Modernism

Ongoing exhibition

Museum der bildenden Künste

https://mdbk.de/en/exhibitions/olga-costa-dialoge-mit-der-mexikanischen-moderne/

„In her adopted country of Mexico, the Leipzig-born artist Olga Costa (1913–1993) has long been known as one of the most important and popular protagonists of Mexican modernism. The Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig is now dedicating a major exhibition to her in her native city. It is also the first time that Costa’s work is being made accessible in a monographic exhibition in Europe. Her multifaceted oeuvre comprises mainly paintings, but also drawings and prints as well as tapestries and a wall design in the form of a mosaic. The exhibition offers an opportunity to become acquainted with Costa’s work in this range of media and in the context of other Mexican artists.“

 

Salome

February 4, 10 and 12

Musical drama

Opera Leipzig

https://www.oper-leipzig.de/en/programm/salome/224

In German with German and English subtitles 

„Princess Salome lives in the decadent court of her mother, Herodias, and stepfather, Herod. Like a voice from another world, the prophet Jochanaan calls to her from his prison cell in the palace dungeon. She projects her sensual desires on to the very man who cannot be tempted by worldly pleasures. His disdain for her cements her plan: if she can’t have the man, then at least she can have his head on a platter. In her final monologue, which is a dialogue with the prophet’s decapitated head, is simultaneously an ecstatic and tragic love song: “If you had seen me, Jochanaan, you would have loved me.”

Picture credits Rolf Arnold: https://www.schauspiel-leipzig.de/spielplan/a-z/der-besuch-der-alten-dame/

 

Carmen

January 13 & 20

Ballet

Opera Leipzig

https://www.oper-leipzig.de/en/programm/carmen/439

„Ballet by Mirko Mahr | Music by Georges Bizet and Rodion Konstantinowitsch Shchedrin.
Carmen is the personification of the ill-fated woman. Mirko Mahr uses the sensual language of dance to retell Carmen’s pure provocation against society as a timeless myth to an adolescent audience.“

 

The Visit (by Friedrich Dürrenmatt)

January 13 & 22

Theatre

Schauspiel Leipzig

https://www.schauspiel-leipzig.de/spielplan/monatsplan/2023-01/mit-englischen-uebertiteln/der-besuch-der-alten-dame/2574/

With English subtitles

„The city of Güllen was once rich. Now she is looking into the abyss of financial bankruptcy. There is a threat of sell-off and seizure. In this fatal situation, the residents expect nothing more — except for a visit from an old lady, the multi-millionaire Claire Zachanassian. She takes to the stage in her hometown with a quirky entourage of butlers, gangsters and the company of her husband no. 7. Claire proposes a lucrative deal, a deal that promises money for the city. New wealth on a single condition: a billion for the corpse of her former lover Alfred Ill.”

 

Romeo and Juliet

January 7, 18 & 26

Theatre

Schauspiel Leipzig

https://www.schauspiel-leipzig.de/spielplan/monatsplan/2023-01/mit-englischen-uebertiteln/romeo-und-julia/2566/

With English subtitles

„Everything is based on a dispute between two families, which has become so entrenched that the reason is no longer an issue. To their ridicule, the families’ only children become lovers. Romeo and Juliet meet at a party and fall in love at first sight. The parents’ argument does not prevent them from being together: they get married in secret. This could be an occasion for reconciliation of both camps. But their promise to each other is put to the test: Juliet is to marry another man, Romeo is pushed into a fight with her cousin and becomes his murderer. […] But none of this stops the lovers from wanting to be together. Even the last frontier, the most radical decision because it is irreversible, both choose to be united forever.”

Picture Credit: Philipp Kirschner (https://www.urbanite.net/leipzig/events/leipziger-weihnachtsmarkt/2022-12-18/) 

 

Christmas Market

November 22 – December 23

Concerts, culinary offers

Market Square

https://www.leipzig.de/freizeit-kultur-und-tourismus/veranstaltungen-und-termine/eventsingle/event/leipziger-weihnachtsmarkt-2021-1

„The tradition of the Leipzig Christmas market dates back to 1458, making it the second oldest in Germany. Due to its unique cultural and culinary offerings in the pedestrian-friendly, illuminated city center, it has acquired a legendary reputation. The Christmas product range is framed by highlights such as the organ music and performances of the Christmas Oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach in the Leipzig churches, the trumpeter performances on the tower of the Old Town Hall, the Christmas show of the Krystallpalast Varieté and last but not least the Fairytale Forest and the Santa Claus office hours.“

 

Nachhall im Museum (Echo in the museum)

December 12, 10 am

Theatre

Theater der Jungen Welt

https://www.theaterderjungenweltleipzig.de/en/wann-what/stueckdetail/der-vogel-anderswo

In German and Arabic

„In faraway Damascus, with Nunu and his family, lives a little bird called »Elsewhere (Anderswo)«. One day, however, it is not he who is elsewhere, but the family. For it is war. Will he see his friend Nunu again?“

 

Johann Sebastian Bach „Weihnachtsoratorium“ (Christmas Oratorio)

December 26, 7.30 pm

Oratorio

Peterskirche Leipzig

https://www.kirche-leipzig-sued.de/termindetails/amici-musicae–johann-sebastian-bach-weihnachtsoratorium-bwv-248-kantaten-iiii-2022-12-26-18-30-ical.html

Enjoy gentle solo voices, atmospheric choral music as well as a great orchestra at one of the most active churches of Leipzig.

Picture credits: Kirsten Nijhof, https://www.oper-leipzig.de/en/programm/romeo-und-julia-ballett/215

 

Mendelsohn-Festtage 2022 (Mendelsohn festive days) 

October 31 until November 6

Concerts, chamber music, dialogues

Gewandhaus, Mendelssohn-Haus

https://www.gewandhausorchester.de/mendelssohn-festtage/

The cooperation between the Gewandhaus and the Mendelssohn-Haus leads to this festival of concerts within the “Musikstadt Leipzig” (city of music).

„The concerts in the house where Mendelssohn lived and died are among the authentic experiences that Leipzig, the city of music, can offer. 2022 is a special year, commemorating the 175th anniversary of Mendelssohn’s death and celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Mendelssohn House in Leipzig. The festival will open on October 31, 2022, the day on which Kurt Masur opened the restored Mendelssohn House 25 years ago.“

 

Nachhall im Museum (Echo in the museum) 

November 2, 6.30pm

Music and art

Opera Leipzig

https://www.oper-leipzig.de/en/programm/nachhall-im-museum/180

Cooperation with the “Museum der Bildenden Künste” (Museum of Fine Arts)

„On four Wednesday evenings, art and music come together in the distinctive atmosphere of the Museum der bildenden Künste (Museum of Fine Arts) Leipzig. Musicians from the Orchestra and Chorus of the Musikalische Komödie present varied programs, in different musical constellations, resulting in a unique sound experience. The audience is invited to experience this interplay of space, sound, and image with all their senses.“

 

Romeo and Juliet – ballet in four acts 

November 13, 7pm

Ballet

Opera Leipzig

https://www.oper-leipzig.de/en/programm/romeo-und-julia-ballett/215

by Mirko Mahr after William Shakespeare

Music by Sergei Prokofiev

„Romeo and Juliet’s love story belongs to the world. The tale of these star-crossed young lovers never fails to touch and inspire audiences and artists alike. Here, Mirko Mahr, director of the ballet of the Musikalische Komödie, retells this mythic tale with younger audiences in mind. The expressive capabilities of dance are the perfect medium to interpret Shakespeare’s themes of love, hate, forgiveness, revenge, and friendship. Sergei Prokofiev’s music clearly expresses the psychological aspects of the various figures and the relationships between them.“

 

Adventskonzert (advent concert) 

November 27, 2.30pm

Concert

Gewandhaus

https://www.gewandhausorchester.de/d/2022-11-27/

In this atmospheric choir concert, the MDR children’s choir looks far beyond the borders of Germany and illuminates the festive customs of other nations with Christmas compositions from all over the world.

Picture credits: Öncü Hrant Gültekin, https://www.leipzigertanztheater.de/produktionen/premieren/10-leipziger-tanztheaterwochen-2022

 

LEIPZIG DANCE THEATRE

September 23 until October 13

Performances

Werk 2 & Schaubühne Leipzig

https://www.leipzigertanztheater.de/produktionen/premieren/10-leipziger-tanztheaterwochen-2022

https://www.urbanite.net/leipzig/events/10-leipziger-tanztheaterwochen/2022-10-08/

“The individuals in the midst of the many, the combination of dance and painting, more from less, happiness in sorrow. All of this is dance, all of which is evident at the Leipzig Dance Theater Weeks […].

From September 23 to October 13, 2022, the choreographers and dancers of the Leipzig Dance Theatre will explore the diverse range of topics in and with dance and open up completely new perspectives for their audience. The stages of Werk 2 and the Schaubühne Lindenfels are used. Tickets for the performances are available directly from the venues in advance or at the box office.”

 

FAIRY TALES FESTIVAL – 31st Festival for Figure, Object and Other Theatre

October 12 until November 12

Theatre festival

Various locations

https://www.theaterkompass.de/beitraege/maerchen-fest-31-festival-fuer-figuren-objekt-und-anderes-theater-2022-in-leipzig-57076

“The family and holiday program offers a selection of five original fairy tale adaptations based on the Brothers Grimm in unconventional ways. All of the pieces are not aimed at a narrowly defined age group.“

“The FAIRY TALE FESTIVAL invites theater fans of all ages: adult connoisseurs and freaks, groups of children from schools, after-school care centers and day-care centers to the numerous interesting offers in the various venues.“

Picture credits: Alexandra Ivanciu, https://gfzk.de/en/2022/protect-me-from-what-i-want/

 

Meehye Lee: I Do What You Do What They Do

Ongoing exhibition

Galerie für zeitgenössische Kunst Leipzig

https://gfzk.de/en/2022/protect-me-from-what-i-want/#

„The influence of social media on our daily life and behaviour is enormous. Posts and feeds continuously convey news and produce a constant stream of (self-)representations. The struggle for attention is huge, accompanied by a growing compulsion to keep up with others and a fear of missing out (FOMO). Meehye Lee, based in South Korea, has been exploring the influence of social media on communication and consumer culture since the 2010s. […] Lee’s work demonstrates that the popularity of certain places is more related to the images taken there than to their uniqueness or history. Places that offer a hip selfie background quickly become “must-visit sites”, with the selfie providing evidence of the “perfect life”.“

 

Glamour Studio. Contemporary Photography from the BMW Donation

Ongoing exhibition until September 18

Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig

https://mdbk.de/en/exhibitions/glamour-studio-zeitgenoessische-kunst-aus-der-bmw-schenkung/

With Glamor Studio. Contemporary photography from the BMW donation, the MdbK is showing a selection of photographs by internationally renowned artists.

The commissioned works created in the late 1990s open up lines of discourse on topics that are important today, such as locomotion, production conditions, climate change, identity and freedom. They are artistic analyzes that illuminate the aura and myth of the automobile and mobility and at the same time, almost a quarter of a century after their creation, illustrate the social change.

 

Fragile splendour. Masterpieces of Porcelain Art.

Ongoing exhibition

Grassi Museum of applied Arts

https://www.grassimak.de/en/museum/special-exhibitions/fragile-splendour/

„Outstanding 18th- and 19th-century porcelains from our own collection are presented in this special exhibition. The most important manufactories are represented with both crockery and figurines—from the Baroque, Rococo, Classicism, and Biedermeier periods. The focus is on porcelain from the Thuringian manufactories of Gera, Gotha, Limbach, Kloster Veilsdorf, Volkstedt, and Wallendorf, as well as early porcelain from Meissen—the first manufactory of its kind in Europe. Significant donations from recent years complete the presentation.“