Dresden music festival 2018 will be held from May 10 to June 10 with the theme “mirror”. This time, a special feature called “Cellomania” is also assembled. On 31st of January, prior to the early summer music festival, special concert by Yo-Yo Ma comes up. As Music Festival kicks off, 19 super gorgeous cellists are around: Andreas Brantelid, Pablo Ferrández, Alban Gerhardt, David Geringas, Narek Hakhnazaryan, Lynn Harrell, Marie-Elisabeth Hecker, Frans Helmerson, Steven Isserlis, Ralph Kirshbaum, Harriet Krijgh, Ivan Monighetti, Miklós Perényi, Christian Poltéra, Kian Soltani, Alisa Weilerstein and Pieter Wispelwey. They perform not only at individual concert, but they even share a stage playing Bach’s suite and Beethoven’s sonatas piece by piece. Natalia Gutman joins to give a masterclass.
The opening concert will be performed by former director Haenchen and Det Kongelige Kapel. This also celebrates his 75 years old. The guest orchestras this year are quite versatile with Daniele Gatti & Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Iván Fischer & Budapest Festival Orchestra, Philippe Herreweghe & Orchester des Champs-Elysées, Sir John Eliot Gardiner & English Baroque Soloists. The local Staatskapelle Dresden is scheduled for a concert directed by Paavo Järvi and Christian Thielemann. The Music Festival Orchestra plays a closing performance with Brahms program, “The Midsummer Night’s Dream” by Mendelssohn and Schumann’s Symphony No. 3. Thomas Zehetmair was appointed as soloist, a mentor of the concert master Janiczek.
There are many other noteworthy concerts. Artemis Quartett with Elisabeth Leonskaja, Duo concert by Joyce DiDonato and Il Pomo d’Oro. Guest artists this year are L’ARPEGGIATA, Janine Jansen (violin), Radu Lupu (piano), Ian Bostridge (Tenor), and so on. “Candide” will be performed at the state operetta, too. Performances are across the genre: the dance Hofesh Shechter Company, organ and chorus, kids, reading, even joint live with techno and club culture. Collaboration between Vogler and Bill Murray comes back again this year.
The festival months, May and June, are also best season to visit Dresden. Local people enjoy the Elbe, swimming and cycling on the bicycle road. Festival guests can also explore the riverside. After concert you might like to go for local brewed beer, if not, Saxony wine. Of course it is the high season for white asparagus, but refreshing herring and Schweinehaxe (roasted pork knuckle) can be served until quite late evening. And don’t forget about Baumkuchen, the most popular souvenir from Dresden. By the way, rail way from Dresden to Prague takes a couple of hours, to Leipzig reach in a hour a half make it possible to visit other music festivals “Prague Spring” and “Bachfest Leipzig”, which take place around the same time of the year.
