March 27 to 30, 2025

A Warm welcome

We invite you to discover Bach & Now! – a new top-class and international festival in the stylish ambience of Schloss Agathenburg in northern Germany.

The festival premiere will take place from 27 March to 30 March 2025. Will you be there?

Bach now! is a musical event for all the senses, with selected compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach and contemporary works – curated and presented in a unique way.

Bach & now! means experiencing great artists and talented musicians up close, sharing emotional moments, meeting interesting people, discovering new worlds of music, spending a relaxing time at Schloss Agathenburg and in the idyllic surroundings – and feeling pure magic.

The festival offers inspiring highlights for fans of Johann Sebastian Bach’s music and those interested in classical music. It is a celebration of encounters between artists and audiences and a place of exchange for all generations. The venues – in the castle, stables and churches – add to the charm of the festival and make the concerts, lectures and workshops there very special experiences.

Bach & now! Bach Now! Agathenburger Bachtage e. V. was founded in 2024 with the aim of creating a new awareness of the importance of “early music” in connection with “contemporary music” and to bring this awareness to life in the future.

Programme

The programme release is scheduled for 27 October 2024

Look forward to a varied programme  that presents selected compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach alongside contemporary works in a unique historical setting,  showcasing new and resonant paths into the future – performed by internationally acclaimed artists.

The festival offers musical highlights for both Bach enthusiasts and curious music lovers who may have limited experience with classical music. From organ concerts to intimate chamber music performances and impressive chamber orchestra presentations, the programme allows audiences to enjoy Bach’s compositions, additional works from the Baroque period, and contemporary music in all their depth and diversity.

Highlights of the programme include:

Three world premieres of commissioned works by this year’s ‘Composer in Residence,’ Rouzbeh Rafie.

Bach and contemporary music: Concerts and lectures that illuminate Bach’s influence on contemporary composers as well as new and contemporary music styles.

Children, teenagers, and families are invited to participate in our activities, including school concerts, workshops, and interactive events.

Orgelkonzerte in den historischen Kirchen von Stade: Erleben Sie Bachs Orgelwerke und Werke zeitgenössischer Komponisten in der prachtvollen Akustik und an den beiden bedeutenden Barockorgeln.

Stade Church of St. Wilhadi
27. March 2025
10:30 am

Concert for Schoolchildren Presented by KIKA Star Juri Tetzlaff.

At various locations in the city centre of Stade and Schloss Agathenburg
27. March 2025
11:00 am

Bachmobil – Beat Ryser Firmin

Schloss Agathenburg - Barocksaal
27. March 2025
6:00 pm

An Introduction to the Falsetto Voice with Alex Potter

Schloss Agathenburg - Pferdestall
27. March 2025
7:30 pm

Opening Concert of The Agathenburg Bach Festival 2025

Stader Church of St. Cosmae et Damiani
28. March 2025
3:30 pm

Sound for Eternity – Organ Tour of St Cosmae et Damiani

Schloss Agathenburg - Barocksaal - Lecture
28. March 2025
5:30 pm

Turning the Past: Creating Harmony between Tradition and the Present – Rouzbeh Rafie

Schloss Agathenburg - Pferdestall
28. March 2025
7:30 pm

Piano Recital – Alexandra Sostmann

Schloss Agathenburg - Schlosskeller
29. March 2025
10:30 am

Bach Creative: Kids Design a Lapbook – with Music Educator Joesphine Mücksch

Schloss Agathenburg - Pferdestall
29. March 2025
11:00 am

Piano Recital – Grigory Gruzman

Schloss Agathenburg - Herrschaftssaal
29. March 2025
12:00 pm

Hands-on History for Kids, Teens and Adults Who Are Young at Heart

Schloss Agathenburg - Barocksaal - Lecture
29. March 2025
1:00 pm

BACH now? – Dr. Robert Nemecek

Schloss Agathenburg - Herrschaftssaal
29. March 2025
1:00 pm

Hands-on History – Photo Activity for Kids and Teens

Schloss Agathenburg - Schlosskeller
29. March 2025
2:00 pm

Building a Real Organ Together – Workshop with Annegret Schönbeck from the Stade Organ Academy

Schloss Agathenburg - Schlosskeller
29. March 2025
2:30 pm

Bach Creative: Kids Design a Lapbook – with Music Educator Joesphine Mücksch

Schloss Agathenburg - Schlosskeller
29. March 2025
4:00 pm

Bach Creative: Kids Design a Lapbook – with Music Educator Joesphine Mücksch

Schloss Agathenburg - Barocksaal
29. March 2025
4:00 pm

Harpsichord Recital – Elena Khurgina

Schloss Agathenburg, Schlosskeller
29. March 2025
4:00 pm

Mindful Listening – Workshop with the music educator Josephine Mücksch

Schloss Agathenburg - Herrschaftssaal
29. March 2025
5:00 pm

Hands-on History for Kids, Teens and Adults Who Are Young at Heart

Schloss Agathenburg, Schlosskeller
29. March 2025
5:30 pm

Mindful Listening – Workshop with the music educator Josephine Mücksch

Schloss Agathenburg - Pferdestall
29. March 2025
7:30 pm

Solo Recital – with Star Cellist Matt Haimovitz

Schloss Agathenburg - Schlosskeller
30. March 2025
11:00 am

Building a Real Organ Together – Workshop with Annegret Schönbeck from the Stade Organ Academy

Schloss Agathenburg - Pferdestall
30. March 2025
11:00 am

Piano Matinee – Evgeni Koroliov

Stader Church of St. Cosmae et Damiani
30. March 2025
1:30 pm

Rendezvous with a Queen – Organ Recital by Thorsten Ahlrichs

Stader Church of St. Wilhadi
30. March 2025
3:00 pm

Organ Recital – Hauke Ramm

Schloss Agathenburg - Pferdestall
30. March 2025
5:00 pm

Final Concert of the Agathenburer Bachtage 2025 – with the Kammersymphonie Berlin under Jürgen Bruns

Tickets

Dear Bach & now! – guests! From October 30, 2024, you will find all important information here about advance ticket sales and practical tips for visiting the festival. We look forward to seeing you!

Stationary advance booking office & box office

Kulturstiftung Schloss Agathenburg
Hauptstraße
D-21684 Agathenburg

Tel.: 04141.54220
https://www.schlossagathenburg.de

Opening hours: Monday – Friday: 10:00 – 18:00 Saturday: 10:00 – 15:30 Public holidays: 10:00 – 17:00

Gift the enjoyment of music

Concert vouchers can be purchased at the advance booking office.

Online ticket shop

Ticket sales start on 15 November 2024.

You can easily book your tickets from the comfort of your home.

News

Composer in Residence – Rouzbeh Rafie

We are delighted to welcome our Composer in Residence 2025 Rouzbeh Rafie. Iranian-born and internationally successful composer Rouzbeh Rafie draws inspiration from a variety of sources, including literature, folk music a...

Fun, Good Music and Family Joy

The Bach & Now! Festival invites you kids, teenagers, and adults to a creative day on Saturday, 29th March 2025. Spend a day on the festival grounds, participate in workshops, enjoy concerts and music, and delve into his...

Romantic Island – Sound Installation

Step into a timeless sonic journey at this year's Bach & Now! Festival, where the past and present converge in an extraordinary outdoor electronic music experience. Set in the enchanting garden of the palace on a seclude...

Your physical well-being is taken care of!

In the café at Schloss Castle, the fantastic team offers you small, vegetarian treats, homemade cakes, savoury snacks and drinks during the day so that you can enjoy the events right from the beginning. Let yourself be s...

Our Supporters

We Say Thank You!

We would like to express our gratitude to our partners and supporters, as well as our sponsors and foundations, without whom this festival would not be possible.