Looking back: Feminale 2025

The third edition of the Feminale Festival took place from April 23 - 26, 2025 took place

The program at a glance

Wednesday, 23.04
7:30 pm, Feminale Opening Night
The Feminale will be ceremoniously opened with music for trumpet ensemble by Anna Amalie von Preußen and piano music by Lili Boulanger. Afterwards, the HfMT Big Band will play a set by and with the composer, singer and storyteller Monta Tupčijenko.

Thursday, 24.04
15:00, Standing Ovation I
Guided tour of the exhibition Standing Ovation - Women Composers Seen! Insights into the life, work and music of Emilie Mayer, Dora Pejačević, Louise Farrenc, Ethel Smyth and Lili Boulanger.

17:00, Cassandra's Cycle
The US-American Connie Converse was one of the first female singer-songwriters and is considered a precursor of Bob Dylan with her personal lyrics. At the Feminale you can experience her Cassandra's Cycle in a staged version and get to know this extraordinary composer.

19:00, Profs go Feminale 2.0
HfMT teachers perform works by Claude Arrieu, Mel Bonis, Rebecca Saunders, Vitezslava Kaprálová, Francesca Caccini.
Participants
Geert Smits, Menno van Delft, Tanja Becker-Bender, Alexei Petrov, Asya Fateyeva, Jürgen Franz, Nobue Ito, Liudmila Minnibaeva, Bernhard Fograscher and Franciska Eisenschmidt.

Friday, 25.04
15:00, Female Voices - Ensemble Edition
Female students sing in duo, trio, quartet and women's choir.
With works by Amy Beach, Abbie Betinis, Misty L. Dupuis, Fanny Hensel, Kristia Michael, Andrea Ramsey, Kaija Saariaho, Kate Soper, Monta Tupcijenko and Rosy Wertheim.

4:30 pm, Key Figures: Resonances, Keys, Words
Concert in two parts with music from the 17th to the 21st century. Century for harpsichord, piano, voice and more
Part I Music for keyboard instruments from the Baroque period to the present day
Moderated and performed by Daria Marshinina and Elena Khurgina
Part II In conversation with musicians and composers
Written and improvised contemporary and traditional music from around the world for voice, harpsichord and tambura
Participants
Mari Chincharauli, Tamo Nasidze, Hania Miriam Luthufi, Elena Khurgina

7:30 pm, 75 years of female HfMT composers
Female composers at our university? Yes, they exist and always have! Compositions by Ilse Fromm-Michaels meet works by female students, lecturers and two world premieres.
With works by Ilse Fromm-Michaels, Yixuan Hu, Nina Deuse, Chin-Hsien Chung, Eunhye Joo and Ruta Paidere.

Saturday, 26.04
11:00 a.m., Matinee: Organ and choral music in St. Johannis-Harvestehude
10:15 a.m. in the foyer of the HfMT
Concert introduction over morning coffee, followed by a walk together to the church of St. Johannis Harvestehude (approx. 6 min.).
11:00 a.m.
Concert with voice and organ students and the HfMT chamber choir.
With works by Nadia Boulanger, Cécile Chaminade, Maija Einfelde, Felicitas Kukuck, Ester Mägi, Caroline Shaw, Nancy Telfer.

3:00 pm, Musical heroines!
Female composers from 800 years - a concert for the whole family.
With works by Sofia Gubaidulina, Hildegard von Bingen, Eleanor Farjeon, Dora Pejačević, Maëlle Pistoia and Makiko Asaoka (subject to change).

4:30 pm, Standing Ovation II
Guided tour of the exhibition Standing Ovation - Women composers seen! Insights into the life, work and music of Fanny Hensel, Augusta Holmès, Hope Lee, Marianne Martines and Florence Price.

19:00, Great works need great halls!
Grand closing concert of the Feminale 2025 with the HamburgUniversity Orchestra, the Hamburg Boys' Choir and the Alsterspatzen - the children's and youth choirs of the Hamburg State Opera.
With works by Elizabeth Alexander, Hildegard von Bingen, Brittney Elizabeth Boykin, Ana Yara Campos, Mara Campos, Sofia Gubaidulina, Fanny Hensel, Felicitas Kuckuck and Marlui Miranda.

21:00, Feminale Closing NightCelebrate with us four festival days full of female composers and the third round of Feminale! DJ queen GGG will spin for us and provide the right soundtrack.