by Ursula Dillenburger-Brendt | Oct, 2025 | EN, Events, Music
Telekom Beethoven Competition: 04. – 13. December, 2025
In December, Bonn will once again become the international centre of the piano world. In Beethoven’s birthplace, the renowned Telekom Beethoven Competition is challenging outstanding classical pianists from all over the world aged between 18 and 32 to compete for the top three places for the 11th time since 2005.
An international selection committee headed by Pavel Gililov, artistic director and jury president of the competition, hand-picked the 28 participants in spring 2025. They have been preparing for the competition ever since, as the repertoire is extremely demanding, the requirements and expectations are extremely high, and the competition is fierce. Half of the exceptional talents come from Asia, seven of them from South Korea alone, while Europe is represented by eight candidates, including Jonas Stark from Germany.
The competition begins in the concert hall of the Telekomzentrale (Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 140, 53113 Bonn) and is open to the public. Every music lover has the fantastic opportunity to attend the competition. Admission is free, only permitted between each audition. And if you have to wait a little while to get in, that’s no problem, as the competition is livestreamed around the world, including to the Telekom lounge, where you can sit down with a cup of coffee and listen.
In the first round, from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th December, all 28 participants will perform. (Time: 10 a.m. – approx. 9 p.m.) The programme includes a prelude and fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach and one of the last three sonatas, as well as another work by Ludwig van Beethoven. Wonderful piano works, sure to be played beautifully! It’s well worth going along to listen and compare. Don’t forget to keep your fingers crossed! The high-calibre jury will select the twelve most outstanding talents from among the competitors.
In the second round, on Monday, 8th and Tuesday, 9th December, the remaining 12 pianists will be back. (Time: 10 a.m. – approx. 9 p.m.) The competition requires the interpretation of a sonata or variations by Ludwig van Beethoven and a Romantic piano work. The audience, some of whom are very enthusiastic and regularly attend the competition, are now fired up, lively discussions taking place during the breaks about who is the most convincing, and everyone hoping that their favourite will progress. But the jury will decide which six of the participants will be admitted to the semi-finals. The audience will find out the result the next morning.
The semi-final for the six selected contestants will take place on Wednesday, 10 December. (Time: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.) The programme includes another sonata by Beethoven and a modern work from the 20th century. It’s getting more and more exciting! Only the three pianists who excel in this preliminary round will advance to the next rounds of the competition. They will then have the opportunity to showcase their skills in a different context in two further concerts.
In the chamber music final on Friday, 12 December, the three finalists will perform together with members of the Beethoven Trio Bonn. (7 p.m.) Here they will demonstrate their sensitivity in musical interaction as well as their sense of balance and sound culture. But it begins with a solo performance of a contemporary work from the 21st century, followed by a piano trio by Ludwig van Beethoven performed together with Mikhail Ovrutsky (violin) and Grigory Alumyan (cello). With such contrasting pieces of music, the concert promises to be interesting. Incidentally, the works performed here are the only ones in the entire competition that do not have to be performed from memory. (Tickets are required to attend the chamber music final)
The absolute highlight of the Telekom Beethoven Competition is undoubtedly the orchestra final with the three finalists on Saturday, 13 December. (new venue: Telekom Forum, Landgrabenweg 151, 53227 Bonn, 7 p.m.) Here, the three contenders for the prize will take to the stage together with the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn and each perform a piano concerto by Ludwig van Beethoven under the musical direction of Oksana Lyniv. The exact programme is unknown until then, as the jury will decide which works the finalists will play based on their artistic profile and repertoire.
Before the three pianists begin, they will each introduce themselves in a video. This will allow the audience to learn about their training and mentors, some personal details, as well as their preferences and aspirations. And then the great piano concertos will begin! For anyone who loves Beethoven’s piano concertos and can’t get enough of them, this orchestra finale is a must! You can’t get more Beethoven piano concerto than this! (Admission tickets are also required here)
When the last note has faded away, there is a long, long pause. The audience waits eagerly in the foyer. Then, finally, the jury announces the rankings of the three finalists. The award ceremony, sponsored by Telekom, forms the festive conclusion to the concert evening: the 1st prize (€50,000), the 2nd prize (€25,000) and the 3rd prize (€10,000) are officially announced and presented to the winners.
However, for the young pianists, the concert engagements, long-term support and associated network of concert halls and event organisers that come with the top prizes are certainly more important than the prize money. For example, the first two winners will give their debut concerts at the Beethovenfest in 2026 and 2027, respectively, and the winner will go on a concert tour of Germany with the Klassische Philharmonie Bonn in 2026, visiting over 10 cities. Further concerts in Europe are planned. How wonderful! This gives the audience, who have been so excited about the young artists, the opportunity to hear them again and follow their development.
by Ursula Dillenburger-Brendt | Jun, 2025 | EN, Events, Music, tradition
On August 28th, the time has come: The Beethovenfest 2025 will open under the patronage of Hendrik Wüst, Minister-President of NRW, followed by over 100 events in and around Bonn until September 27th. During this time, the city of Bonn will be dedicated to its greatest son, Ludwig van Beethoven, and his music. The festival looks back on a long and rich history. It first took place in 1845 on the occasion of the ceremonial inauguration of the Beethoven monument on Bonn’s Münsterplatz. Composer Franz Liszt played a key role in its realisation, both as a financier and as artistic director of the entire celebration. He promptly devised a multi-day festival and, as conductor, designed the musical events in a concert hall specially built in 11 days. It was the beginning of a festival tradition that continues to this day. Initially held only on important Beethoven anniversaries, pianist Elly Ney established a regular schedule for the festival in the 1930s. Since the construction of the new Beethoven Hall in 1959, it has taken place every two to three years, and since 1999, every autumn for four weeks. The people of Bonn support the festival with two associations, the “Freundeskreis Beethovenfest Bonn e.V.” and the “Bürger für Beethoven“, and with their regular attendance.
The festival has always seen itself as a bridge between tradition and innovation, treating Beethoven’s works not as a museum opus, but as a source of inspiration for musical exploration. Beethoven’s pieces are performed, reinterpreted and juxtaposed with contemporary music. Furthermore, commissions encourage a modern, direct engagement.
This year’s festival motto “Alles ultra”, loosely adapted from J.W. von Goethe, is fitting. The slogan stands for the pursuit of new things, creative innovation, and the pushing of boundaries. While Goethe denounced the excesses of his contemporaries as a problematic development resulting in disorientation and mediocrity with “Everything but… is now ultra! Everything transcends unstoppably, in thought as well as in action” in 1825, in Bonn 2025, “Everything ultra” is reinterpreted and understood not only as an interpretation of world events but above all as an expression of Beethoven’s nature and his musical genius. For it was precisely the nonconformist Beethoven who often took uncharted paths and actively and innovatively approached the future. Appropriately, artistic director Steven Walter is promising “around 100 events to celebrate our colourful, vibrant, and, despite all the social concerns, also full of opportunities. A festival is dedicated to human diversity, the positively crazy, and the humanistic “ultras” – entirely in the spirit of Beethoven” and promises: “The Beethovenfest Bonn 2025 will be loud, it will be surprising, it will be chic, it will be moving – and certainly ultra!” – Well then!
If you look through the Beethovenfest program, you will indeed discover a lively potpourri of concert forms. As expected, there are the major symphony concerts at the Opera House by famous orchestras playing works by Beethoven (2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th Symphonies as well as the Violin Concerto – after all, it is still the Beethovenfest), but also symphonic works by Mozart, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, and others. Also notable are the many chamber concerts taking place at a wide variety of venues: Classical chamber music, with piano and string ensembles, is primarily represented in the Chamber Music Hall of the Beethovenhaus. At the other venues performances are mixed according to the motto “Anything but classical” where unusual, new and even improvised interplay between various instruments creates unusual yet fascinating sound experiences. For example, the Kreuzkirche offers cross-genre soundscapes, a walk-in musical theatre and relaxed after-work concerts. The “Pantheon,” “Harmonie,” and “Haus der Springmaus” cabaret theatres offer a colourful mix of performances, and percussion concerts are popular at the Dransdorf tram station.
The Beethovenfest Bonn has always been distinguished by its international appeal and high artistic quality. The program serves as a platform for encounters and artistic exchange between renowned musicians and up-and-coming young talents. As part of the Fellowship Program and the Beethoven Talents program, young musicians are given the opportunity to make the leap to the stage with exclusive master classes, coaching, and concerts. Bonn pianist Fabian Müller, now a star of the Bonn music scene, has already taken this path. He will be represented at the Beethovenfest with five concerts. He will conduct his own orchestra with Beethoven’s Symphonies Nos. 2 and 3 and, over four evenings, he will complete his project to play all 32 Beethoven sonatas, spread across two festivals. He will precede each Beethoven work with his own musical preface. Listening to him is a pleasure, and attending one of his concerts is highly recommended.
“Alles Ultra” from August 28 to September 27, 2025, in Bonn? The Beethovenfest, with its blend of traditional and innovative, will offer us a sizzling mix where everyone is sure to find something for themselves and can even be tempted to try something new. I’m looking forward to it!
by Helga Stark | Jun, 2025 | EN, Events, Music
Most people think of Beethoven and classical music when they think of Bonn, but Bonn also has a lot to offer in terms of other genres of music.
Back in the 60s and 70s, Bonn was a hotspot for music, and even Queen, who were still unknown at the time, performed at the Club Underground. Other bands also made this music club famous. Even though the Underground had to close after only three years and other so-called beat clubs also did not survive, the spirit of that time can still be felt in the city today.
Bonn has numerous pubs where live bands perform (e.g. Kater 26, Session, Namenlos, Mausefalle 33 1/3… and many more). Every Thursday, Session hosts a jam session with local blues musicians that is definitely not to be missed! Music performances are also becoming increasingly common on small stages such as the Rheinbühne and the Pantheon.
A special highlight in Bonn-Endenich is the Harmonie. This music hall-style venue hosts live performances by artists of various genres from September to May. If you’re interested, take a look here. Even WDR Rockpalast still records concerts in this great hall, where photos on the walls show which music greats have played here.
The outdoor music season generally starts at the beginning of May with ‘Rhein in Flammen’ (Rhine in Flames) where several stages ensure that everyone from hard rockers to lovers of Cologne music get their money’s worth. And it’s free and outdoors, like so much else in Bonn.
The concerts in the beer garden of the Parkrestaurant Rheinaue are also an integral part of the Bonn summer, with cover bands performing almost daily from mid-July to the end of August and Latin music on Sundays. More information is available here.
The Bonn City Garden offers a wide variety of musical events in August.
In August, the younger generation can look forward to the two-day Green Juice Festival with indie, pop, rock and a colourful supporting programme.
At Jeck im Sunnesching you can see people in carnival costumes parading through Bonn in the middle of summer!
The big names in music can be found at Kunstrasen. From BAP (sold out) to Lynnard Skynnard and Deichkind, there are some high-quality concerts.
In Bad Godesberg, don’t miss ‘Musik im Park’ and Musik unter der Zeder.
In Beuel, established musicians and up-and-coming artists perform at ‘Musik auf der Treppe’.
Bonn has music in every corner and city council even has a representative for rock and pop! This list is certainly not exhaustive and is influenced by the author’s age and musical taste 🙂 So, music lovers will get their money’s worth in Bonn, and why not combine a concert with a Greet?
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