Dr Wolfram Weimer, Minister of State for Culture and the Media
The opening concert marks both the beginning of the Musikfest Berlin and a special anniversary: this year, we celebrate 75 years of the Berliner Festspiele. This anniversary also draws our attention to 1951, when the Berliner Festwochen took place for the first time. Over the decades, this festival of classical music and modern culture has transformed into a diverse cultural programme from which numerous independent formats have emerged.
The Musikfest Berlin intends to follow this tradition. In 2005, a new concept for the Berliner Festwochen was developed in close cooperation with the Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation and the former classical music festival was renamed Musikfest Berlin. Therefore, the Musikfest Berlin is both the youngest and the oldest festival of the Berliner Festspiele; it is a format that perpetuates the history of the institution while always offering new artistic perspectives.
The programme for the festival’s anniversary year addresses the many years of this development. Numerous works and projects refer to defining moments in the Berliner Festwochen’s history and give them a modern context. This shows how much musical tradition and contemporary art inspire one another and how vibrant the festival’s cultural heritage has remained.
This year, an extraordinary work that builds cultural bridges deserves special attention: a performance by the Kanze Noh Theater led by XXVI. Grand Master Kiyokazu Kanze. The encounter between this centuries-old theatrical and musical tradition from Japan and the audience in Berlin is a testament to the international openness that has shaped the Musikfest Berlin since its beginnings.
I hope that all who attend the festival will enjoy inspiring concerts and impressive artistic experiences.
Dr Wolfram Weimer
Minister of State for Culture and the Media