Over 50,000 Visitors: A New Record for Musikfest Berlin

The 20th edition of Musikfest Berlin attracted over 50,000 visitors, setting a new record for the festival. According to the organizers, around 40 events took place, many of which were sold out. This marks a significant increase from last year’s 45,000 attendees across 28 concerts, making it “an absolute record in the festival’s history.”

This year's festival, held under the theme "Amériques," featured orchestras from both the Americas and Europe. The São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, led by Thierry Fischer, and the Cleveland Orchestra, under Franz Welser-Möst, joined European ensembles such as the Filarmonica della Scala and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Riccardo Chailly and Klaus Mäkelä. The Kansas City Symphony, led by Matthias Pintscher, and the Vienna Philharmonic, under Christian Thielemann, made their debuts at the festival. In total, 160 works by more than 80 composers were performed, with contributions from Berlin’s major orchestras.

The program celebrated the 150th birthday of composer Charles Ives and showcased American modernists like John Adams, Allison Loggins-Hull, and Missy Mazzoli. Ensemble Modern performed the complete works of US composer Ruth Crawford Seeger in three concerts. The festival also honored European composers with milestone anniversaries, such as Anton Bruckner, Arnold Schoenberg, and Luigi Nono, while paying tribute to recently deceased composers Peter Eötvös, Aribert Reimann, Kaija Saariaho, and Wolfgang Rihm. The Berliner Philharmoniker performed Rihm's works in a special "in memoriam" concert.

Musikfest Berlin traditionally marks the start of the new season for Berlin’s major orchestras, including the Philharmoniker, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester, Konzerthausorchester, and Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester, along with international guests. The next Musikfest is scheduled for August 30 to September 23, 2025.