Feminine Music Festival 2026

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

Concert by vocal acrobat Frauke Aulbert and saxophonist Ruth Velten. // approx. 60 min
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Big breasts, grimace, cock (19:30, Small Stage)

Why are the sirens still seen as a threat today, as personified female power? Director Clara Brezinka poses this question in her production and takes the mythological creatures out of their misogynistic stereotypes - with music by Lili Boulanger, Kate Soper, Kristia Michael, Caroline Shaw, Johanna Kinkel, Antonia Bembo, SXTN and Emmy Meli // approx. 40 min.
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Standing ovations (5 p.m., Foyer)

Guided tour of the exhibition Standing Ovation - Women Composers Seen! Insights into the life and work of Emilie Mayer, Marianne Martines, Maija Einfelde, Lili Boulanger and Florence Price // approx. 50 min
No registration necessary.

Feminale Opening Night (7 pm, Forum)

Great works need great halls - and many voices! That's why the Feminale has invited four choirs from the"Nordklang" Chamber Choir Festival to the Forum of the HfMT. The Harvestehuder Kammerchor, Hamburg Vokal as well as the women's choir and the chamber choir of the HfMT will be performing // approx. 100 min (with interval)
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Played, analyzed, discussed! Works by Chaminade and Viardot under the microscope (15:30, Fanny-Hensel-Saal)

Students of Mariana Popova's vocal chamber music class present works by Cécile Chaminade and Pauline Viardot. Oliver Mathes' music theory course will provide insights into music history, compositional design and musical craftsmanship // approx. 60 mins.
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Followed by an exchange over coffee and cake

Female Classics - ladies-in-waiting, virtuosos, composers!
(7 pm, Mendelssohnsaal)

Arias, sonatas and songs from the 18th century, composed by ladies-in-waiting and princesses, pianists and virtuosos - by female composers! And as a special highlight of this year's Feminale: the world premiere of the new piece by Lucie Spedicato, our composer in residence 2026! // approx. 100 min (with interval)
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This concert takes place in cooperation with the Mozart Nature Fest takes place. We are pleased that the program will be performed a second time on 6 June 2026 at Forum Ohlsdorf!

Luise's treasure chest (11 a.m., Orchestra Studio)

A music theater with songs and texts about and by the 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 from 5 - 10 years) // approx. 50 min
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Afterwards we invite everyone to lunch together in the foyer.

Women composers! (2 p.m., Fanny Hensel Hall)

Concert by the Lied class of the Staatliche Jugendmusikschule Hamburg - with 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, Cecile Chaminade // approx. 70 min
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Unlearn the canon: How do we design concert programs of the future?
(16:30, Orchestra Studio)

The workshop in cooperation with Musica Inaudita (Berlin) invites you to an open, critical examination of the musical canon. Together we will question familiar program patterns, discover new perspectives and develop ideas for more diverse concert formats.
// ca. 70 min
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Grande F(em)inale (18:30, Mendelssohnsaal)

String quartets, sonatas and piano trios - in the final concert, the inn.wien ensemble, students and teachers of the HfMT play great chamber music for us.// approx. 100 min (with break)
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Feminine closing party (20:30, Foyer)

Festival finale with DJ queen GGG!
No registration necessary.

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

The relaxed finale the morning after: Recover from the party lying down with arrangements of Hildegard von Bingen for nyckelharpa, countertenor and electronics! // approx. 60 min
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Standing Ovation II (17:30, Foyer)

Guided tour of the exhibition Standing Ovation - Women Composers Seen! Insights into the life and work of Louise Farrenc, Ilse Fromm-Michaels, Augusta Holmès, Hope Lee, Dora Pejačević and Ethel Smyth // approx. 50 min
No registration necessary.

Visions of Venus (19:30, Jazzhall)

Spark, the "classic band", and singer-songwriter Wallis Bird interpret 1000 years of female music history and present their "Visions of Venus" in a breathtaking evening at the Jazzhall. Don't miss it!
Information on registration via eventbrite will follow shortly.