Feminine Music Festival 2026

aulbert & guests. female sonic feast (5:00 p.m., Small Stage)

Concert featuring vocal acrobat Frauke Aulbert and saxophonist Ruth Velten. // approx. 60 min

Big Breasts, Grimace, Dick (7:30 p.m., Small Stage)

Why are sirens still seen today as a threat, as the personification of female power? Director Clara Brezinka poses this question in her production and liberates these mythological beings from misogynistic stereotypes—with music by Lili Boulanger, Kate Soper, Kristia Michael, Caroline Shaw, Johanna Kinkel, Antonia Bembo, SXTN, and Emmy Meli. // approx. 40 min

Standing Ovation I (5:00 p.m., Foyer)

Guided tour of the exhibition “Standing Ovation – Women Composers in Focus!” Insights into the lives and works of Emilie Mayer, Marianne Martines, Maija Einfelde, Lili Boulanger, and Florence Price. // approx. 50 min

Feminale Opening Night (7:00 p.m., Forum)

Great works require large halls—and many voices! That’s why Feminale has invited four choirs from“Nordklang” Chamber Choir Festival to the Forum at the HfMT. The lineup includes the Harvestehuder Chamber Choir, Hamburg Vokal, and the HfMT Women’s Choir and Chamber Choir. // approx. 100 min (with intermission)

Play, analyze, discuss! Works by Chaminade and Viardot under the microscope (3:30 p.m., Fanny Hensel Hall)

Students from Mariana Popova’s vocal chamber music class will present works by Cécile Chaminade and Pauline Viardot. Students from the school music program will provide insights into the music: How were the pieces composed? Under what circumstances were they written, and where were they performed? And how do these insights influence the performers’ musical interpretation? // approx. 60 min

Female Classics – Court Ladies, Virtuosos, Composers!
(7:00 p.m., Mendelssohn Hall)

Arias, sonatas, and songs from the 18th century, composed by ladies-in-waiting and princesses, pianists and virtuosos—by women composers! And as a special highlight of this year’s Feminale: the world premiere of the new piece by Lucie Spedicato, our 2026 Composer-in-Residence! // approx. 100 min (with intermission)

This concert is presented in cooperation with the Mozart Nature Fest . We are delighted that the program was performed a second time on June 6, 2026, at the Forum Ohlsdorf.

Luisa's Treasure Chest (11 a.m., Orchestra Studio)

A musical theater production featuring songs and texts about and by composer Luise Greger—narrated and conceived by her great-great-granddaughter Susanne Heitkamp and performed by students of the HfMT (for the whole family, recommended for children ages 5–10) // approx. 50 min

Women Composers! (2:00 p.m., Fanny-Hensel Hall)

Concert by the art song class of the Hamburg State Youth Music School—featuring works by Henriette Bosmans, Charlotte von Bülow, Josephine Lang, Felicitas Kukuck, Julie von Tschirschky, Mary Norris, Ruth Schonthal, Fanny Hensel, Helene Zitelmann, Bertha von Brunkenthal, Isidore von Bülow, and Cecile Chaminade // approx. 70 min

Unlearn the Canon: How Do We Shape the Concert Programs of the Future?
(4:30 p.m., Orchestra Studio)

The workshop in cooperation with Musica Inaudita (Berlin) invites you to an open, critical exploration of the musical canon. Together, we’ll question familiar programming patterns, discover new perspectives, and develop ideas for more diverse concert formats.
// approx. 70 min

Grande F(em)inale (6:30 p.m., Mendelssohn Hall)

String quartets, sonatas, and piano trios—in the closing concert, the inn.wien ensemble, along with students and faculty from the HfMT, will perform some of the greatest chamber music for us.// approx. 100 min (with intermission)

Feminale Closing Party (8:30 p.m., Foyer)

Festival finale with DJ Queen GGG!

Hildegard in the Forest (11 a.m., Mendelssohn Hall)

A relaxing finale: The Innova Early Music Ensemble brings Hildegard von Bingen to the Mendelssohn Hall. You can enjoy the arrangements for nyckelharpa, countertenor, and electronics while lying down on Sunday morning! // approx. 60 min

Standing Ovation II (5:30 p.m., Foyer)

Guided tour of the exhibition “Standing Ovation – Women Composers in the Spotlight!”
Insights into the lives and works of Fanny Hensel, Augusta Holmès, Ilse Fromm-Michaels, Dora Pejačević, and Ethel Smyth. // approx. 50 min

Visions of Venus (7:30 p.m., Jazzhall)

Spark, the “classical band,” and singer-songwriter Wallis Bird interpret 1,000 years of women’s music history and present their “Visions of Venus” in a breathtaking evening at the Jazzhall. Don’t miss it!