Be it the Semper Opera House in Dresden, numerous Wagner or Bach sites or the famous St. Thomas Boys' Choir of Leipzig: Saxony shines brightly as a centre of musical culture. Everywhere in the region you will find outstanding orchestras and choirs with long-standing traditions that spoil their audiences with musical performances of world-class standard. Visitors can enjoy the best of music in unique venues and walk in the footsteps of the musical geniuses.
Musical highlights in Saxony
Music is a second revelation of the world, the ineffable sounding mystery of existence.Richard Wagner, German composer (1813-1883)
Johann Sebastian Bach in the Bach Museum and St. Thomas Church in Leipzig
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy in Leipzig
The Richard-Wagner-Stätten in Graupa
Carl-Maria von Weber in the Weber Museum in Hosterwitz
Music festival in honour of Heinrich Schütz
Leipzig is deeply connected to Johann Sebastian Bach, who served as Thomaskantor from 1723 until his death in 1750 and created many of his most famous works in the city.
The annual Leipzig Bach Festival in June is always dedicated to a specific theme. In 2027, it will be “Passion” as it will be the 300th anniversary of St. Matthew Passion, written in Leipzig. Performances always feature renowned artists, including St. Thomas Boys Choir and Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.
The Bach Archive has been a global research centre for more than 75 years. It also operates the Bach Museum right across St. Thomas Church.
The Leipzig Music Trail is a 5.6 km long trail connecting significant and authentic places of the more than 800-year-old music history of Leipzig including churches, composer's houses and museums.
For Bach enthusiasts, Leipzig offers guided city tours, boat trips and special travel packages which include concert tickets and immersive experiences, making Leipzig a must-visit for classical music lovers.
Leipzig’s Gewandhaus Orchestra with 185 top musicians is not for nothing high on the list of many music aficionados around the world. Whatever you do, try to attend one of their performances for an unforgettable experience!
For over 400 years, the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden orchestra has inspired great composers with its fine and warm chamber music sound.
Performances of the Dresden Philharmonic are an integral part in the city’s cultural calendar and the orchestra stands for musical performances of the highest artistic standard.
The award-winning MDR Symphony Orchestra is Germany's oldest radio orchestra and one of the most exciting ensembles in the entire country.
The Robert Schumann Philharmonic Orchestra Chemnitz is known for outstanding concerts, operas and musicals and you will find its name on many award-winning albums.
Leipzig’s St. Thomas Boys Choir with a tradition going back to the early 13th century was for 27 years under the cantorship of the great Johann Sebastian Bach himself and is today one of the oldest and most prestigious boys’ choirs in the world.
For over 800 years, the Dresdner Kreuzchor (Holy Cross Boys Choir) has been delighting its audiences. It is one of the oldest boys' choirs in the world and has produced some of Germany's greatest singers.
Modern dance has a long tradition in Saxony and can be enjoyed at the European Center for the Arts Dresden Hellerau and the Palucca University of Dance Dresden.
The Gewandhaus Orchestra has been part of Leipzig’s “soundtrack” since 1743. It is considered the world’s first civic symphony orchestra, and with 185 musicians, it is also one of the largest.
The Gewandhaus trademark is a dark, romantic sound, shaped by some of the greatest conductors such as Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Gustav Mahler, Wilhelm Furtwängler and Kurt Masur.
Gewandhaus Orchestra performances, which are always also an encounter with the history of Mozart, Liszt, Wagner and Brahms in Saxony, can be enjoyed at Leipzig Opera House, in concerts with the St. Thomas Boys Choir and, above all, at the New Gewandhaus concert hall.
The annual Bach Festival Leipzig is all about the brilliant composer with many events in churches and concert halls throughout the city.
With 1,500 musicians and top-notch concerts, Dresden Music Festival each year attracts tens of thousands of music lovers to the city on the Elbe.
The Moritzburg Festival is the largest chamber music festival in Germany and delights its audience with magnificent concerts in spectacular settings.
With concerts in picturesque churches and historic ballrooms, the Ore Mountains Music Festival takes you on a musical voyage of discovery in one of Saxony’s most stunning sceneries.
The a capella Festival in Leipzig, founded by the "amarcord" ensemble, has become one of the most important meeting places for vocal ensembles from all over the world.
The MDR Music Summer is all about world-class music in unusual venues, including castles, monasteries as well as parks and gardens.
The Lausitz Festival taking place in around 50 different locations in Saxony’s Lusatia region and across the border in neighbouring Poland features a range of cultural events, including concerts, exhibitions and theatre performances, which bring together regional and international artists.
The Upper Lusatia Chamber Music Festival offers delightful, intimate concerts in castles and churches throughout Upper Lusatia—a hidden gem!
At the Chursächsische Festival in Bad Elster, Thuringia, Bavaria, and Bohemia join Saxony in celebrating the beauty of culture in the heart of Europe’s spa region.
The Schumann Festival is an annual festival in Zwickau, the birthplace of Robert Schumann. It dates back to traditions established in 1847 and is one of the oldest music festivals dedicated to a single composer.
The Leipzig Gewandhaus concert hall is the city’s musical centre. European as well as world music history has been written here.
Leipzig Opera House has seen premieres of great operas. Arthur Nikisch and Gustav Mahler worked here as conductors. Today, the legendary Gewandhaus Orchestra has taken its place in the orchestra pit.
The opera house in Chemnitz, located right in the city centre, has an impressive repertoire as well as the most modern concert technology in all of Europe.
Hellerau Festival House was originally designed to house the Rhythmic Dance School of Jacques Dalcroze and aimed at the integration of architecture, music, dance and theatre. Apart from being a centre for culture in Europe, it is also an important monument of the continent’s architectural history.
Dresden State Operetta is the only independent operetta theatre in Germany and its home, a former power station, is quite spectacular.
Destroyed during World War II and rebuilt after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Dresden’s Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche) is a unique symbol of peace and reconciliation.
Felsenbühne Rathen, an open-air stage in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, is considered the most beautiful natural theatre in Europe, with impressive rock formations forming an ideal backdrop for spectacular performances.
Venues, orchestras, and museums
Architecture, art and industrial heritage
