ShoStakovich in Leipzig

14-29 may 2025
Clive Paget

*** Preliminary Itinerary ***

Experience the Shostakovich Festival in Leipzig, honouring the life of a modern musical giant on the 50th anniversary of his death with 13 performances by stand-out orchestras and ensembles

OVERVIEW

2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Shostakovich’s death and to celebrate this giant of twentieth-century music, the Leipzig Gewandhaus has partnered with Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra for a special musical commemoration. Join Limelight Magazine’s Editor-at Large, Clive Paget, for a residential-style tour that takes in the best of the Festival and the sheer range of Shostakovich’s music.

The musical program offers 13 performances, including the opening night with Andris Nelsons at the podium with Leipzig’s Gewandhausorchester. There are performances by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and by acclaimed interpreters of Shostakovich’s music, and a program of pre-performance talks by Clive takes you deeper into the music, as well as the life and times of the composer. 

The musical program is carefully balanced with touring that explores diverse places of cultural interest and historical themes in Eastern Germany. These include UNESCO-listed Wittenberg, the Bauhaus in Weimar and Dessau, and the tremendous musical heritage of Dresden. Select fine dining experiences, as well as self-catering apartment-style accommodation, increase the enjoyment and comfort of the tour experience.

Highlights

  • Delight in 13 performances at the Shostakovich Festival, including Andris Nelsons conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Gewandhausorchestrer

  • Gain insight into the life and music of Shostakovich, through background talks and post-performance discussion led by Clive Paget

  • Explore the musical heritage of Leipzig and surrounds, from Bach to Mendelssohn and Schubert

  • Enjoy excursions that explore Germany’s cultural heritage, including Wittenberg and the Reformation and the Bauhaus in Dessau and Weimar

  • Admire exceptional art collections, including Old Masters in Leipzig and modern masterpieces in Dresden’s Albertinum

TOUR LEADER

Clive Paget is well known to Australian music lovers. He is a leading arts writer and critic and is Editor-at-Large for Limelight in Australia. He also writes for Musical America, Opera News, BBC Music Magazine, Gramophone, The Guardian, and others on a wide range of topics. Currently based in the UK, over the past five years he has reported for Limelight from both New York and London.

Before moving to Sydney in 2008, Clive was Sir Nicholas Hytner’s music theatre consultant at London’s National Theatre, where he initiated many new projects. In 1997 he co-directed the world premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s previously unperformed musical, Saturday Night, and was a founder of London’s influential Bridewell Theatre.

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