April 12 – 15, 2025 | Philharmonie Berlin, Kammermusiksaal
Imagine, you are close to death. But then, there’s this idea – you want to accomplish this task so desperately, that you arise from the bedside, start working like mad – and create a masterpiece.
This is how the Austrian writer Stefan Zweig imagined the creation of Handel’s Messiah in his book Sternstunden der Menschheit. “Rising” is the theme of this international singing project, the focus of which is the performance of Handel’s Messiah in the Kammermusiksaal of the Philharmonie Berlin.
Resurrection of Georg Friedrich Händel
Handel’s Messiah premiered in 1742 and is among the most famous classical pieces. The Hallelujah Choir in particular is sure to be familiar to every choir singer. It’s not documented that Handel had a stroke before composing the Messiah. But he indeed had to handle several failures of other works before the great success of the Messiah.
Program
Language Version and Edition
Georg Friedrich Händel, Messiah, HWV 56
English Version
Edition of Carus Verlag, Vocal Score Carus 55.056/03, ISMN 979-0-007-09384-6
L’Arpa Festante
Founded in 1983 and thus one of the most traditional ensembles for early music, L’arpa festante has earned an excellent reputation not only as a distinctive ensemble for the performance of instrumental works, but also as a partner of powerful choirs for baroque, classical and romantic choral-orchestral works. After the ensemble’s initial focus was on rediscovering works from the 17th and 18th centuries, the oratorio and symphonic repertoire of the Romantic period has also come to the fore in recent years. L’arpa festante features various ensemble sizes and is directed by Christoph Hesse.
Nicolas Fink
Conductor
Nicolas Fink, principal conductor of the WDR Radio Choir, has no reservations when it comes to sound development and the lively experience of choral music. As a music educator, he has been choir director of the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Choir at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival since 2014. Since 2018, he has been the artistic director of the Swiss Youth Choir, a top national ensemble of young people of all backgrounds, where he supports talented singers and conductors.
He works with his ensembles on an equal footing, taking professional singing just as serious as non-professional singing.
Schedule of the project
SAT, APRIL 12, 2025
15:00 – 18:00 Choir and Piano Rehearsal 1 (all participants), Otto-Braun-Saal, Staatsbibliothek Berlin
20:00 – 21:30 Welcoming Concert (selected ensembles)
SUN, APRIL 13, 2025
14:00 – 16:00 Choir and Piano Rehearsal 2 (all participants), Otto-Braun-Saal, Staatsbibliothek Berlin
16:30 – 18:30 Choir and Piano Rehearsal 3 (all participants), Otto-Braun-Saal, Staatsbibliothek Berlin
20:00 – 21:30 Concert “Night of Choirs” (selected ensembles)
MON, APRIL 14, 2025
10:00 – 12:30 Choir and Piano Rehearsal 4 (all participants), Otto-Braun-Saal, Staatsbibliothek Berlin
19:30 – 22:00 Choir and Orchestra Rehearsal (all participants), Otto-Braun-Saal, Staatsbibliothek Berlin
TUE, APRIL 15, 2025
10:00 – 13:00 Dress Rehearsal at the Kammermusiksaal Philharmonie Berlin
18:30 Placement and acoustic check at the Kammermusiksaal Philharmonie Berlin
20:00 Concert MESSIAH | Kammermusiksaal Philharmonie Berlin
Overview of costs
for performers and friends
The participation fee for the four-day project and the concert is EUR 98.00 per participant.
Non-performing accompanying persons are offered a reduced participation fee of EUR 55.00 per person that includes access to all rehearsals, to the concerts of the fringe program and a ticket in the best category for the concert at the Philharmonie Berlin.
Hotel suggestions – Exclusively for performers
For the MESSIAH project, we have selected some hotels near the Philharmonie that offer special rates for participants.
Register now
Please don’t hesitate to contact us for any question or comments.