BADEN-BADEN EASTER FESTIVAL

28 march – 09 april 2026
robert gay

Engage with this outstanding program of opera, oratorio and symphonic works, several of which feature exciting faces in the new generation of talented musicians at the annual Baden-Baden Easter Festival

OVERVIEW

In 2026, the Baden-Baden Easter Festival welcomes two of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw and the peripatetic Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the latter made up of 45 invited musicians from over 20 different countries. The two orchestras will be led by two of the world’s most exciting young conductors: Klaus Mäkelä – who is already the Concertgebouw’s Chief Conductor-designate – and Joana Mallwitz, the Chief Conductor of Berlin’s Konzerthaus Orchestra, who is teamed at the Festival with the superb Mahler Chamber Orchestra.

The program both conductors have chosen to present is dazzling in its variety – Bach’s Matthew Passion and Wagner’s Lohengrin; Bruckner’s Eighth Symphony and Mahler’s Fifth; and Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem. Celebrated pianist Hélène Grimaud will also direct the MCO from the keyboard in concertos by Schumann and Brahms.

Limelight Arts Travel’s program is neatly rounded out with two additional performances in Munich: Verdi’s Macbeth and Wagner’s Parsifal.

Robert Gay… is a walking, talking and occasionally singing encyclopaedia of the history of music and opera”
- journalist Paola Totaro in The Weekend Australian (7-8 December 2024)

TOUR LEADER

Robert Gay has significant expertise as a music history educator and tour leader, having designed and led more than 100 tours to the great musical cities of Europe and North America.

Known for his popular music history courses, which have been offered at the University of Sydney’s Centre for Continuing Education for more than 30 years, Robert’s musical expertise extends from the Baroque period through to the great composers of the modern era.

Robert trained as a lyric baritone in London and Munich, and he was also President of the Sydney Schubert Society for many years. He has been a guest lecturer for Arts National (formerly ADFAS), and is regularly invited to present talks on opera and music history to organisations such as the Wagner Society NSW.

Read more about the experience of travelling with Robert in journalist Paola Totaro’s article in The Weekend Australian (07-08 December 2024).

Details

DATES:
28 March – 09 April 2026

ITINERARY:
Baden-Baden – 9 nights
Munich – 3 nights

PRICE: $14,950pp twinshare

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $2,360 for sole use of a double room

DEPOSIT:
$2,000pp at the time of booking

SECOND DEPOSIT:
$2,500 due 28 November 2025

FITNESS:
Moderate

GROUP SIZE:
Max. 20 places

    • Enjoy seven fine performances of both opera and orchestra music in Baden-Baden’s superb dual-purpose Festspielhaus, and two operas at the National Theatre in Munich

    • Experience two of the next generation of conductors, Klaus Mäkelä and Joana Mallwitz, conducting the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra respectively

    • Enhance your enjoyment of the performances with talks by tour leader Robert Gay

    • Enjoy day trips to absorb the region’s culture, history and scenery, including Strasbourg, baroque Rastatt and Speyer

    • Discover Munich’s outstanding collection of European Old Masters in the Alte Pinakothek, and enjoy the impressive work of the ‘Blue Rider’ Group artists in the Lenbachhaus

  • Performance 1
    Venue: Festspielhaus
    Program: Johannes Brahms, Piano Concerto No.1; Robert Schumann, Piano Concerto
    Performers: Hélène Grimaud (piano) directs the Mahler Chamber Orchestra

    Performance 2
    Venue: Festspielhaus
    Program: Johann Sebastian Bach, St Matthew Passion
    Performers: Klaus Mäkelä (conductor), Maximilian Schmitt (Evangelist), Matthew Brook (Christ), Julia Lezhneva (soprano), Tim Mead (alto), Laurence Kilsby (tenor), Krešimir Stražanac (bass), Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

    Performance 3
    Venue: Festspielhaus
    Program: Max Bruch, Violin Concerto No.1 ; Gustav Mahler, Symphony No.5
    Performers: Klaus Mäkelä (conductor), Daniel Lozakovich (violin), Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

    Performance 4
    Venue: Festspielhaus
    Program: Anton Bruckner, Symphony No.8
    Performers: Klaus Mäkelä (conductor), Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

    Performance 5
    Venue: Festspielhaus
    Program: Benjamin Britten, War Requiem
    Performers: Joana Mallwitz (conductor), Bogdan Volkov (tenor soloist), Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno

    Performance 6
    Venue: Festspielhaus
    Program: Song recital, full program TBA
    Performers: Elīna Garanča, mezzo-soprano; pianist TBA

    Performance 7
    Venue: Festspielhaus
    Program: Wagner, Lohengrin
    Performers: Joana Mallwitz (conductor), Johannes Erath (director), Piotr Beczała (Lohengrin), Rachel Willis-Sørensen (Elsa ), Wolfgang Koch (Telramund), Tanja Ariane Baumgartner (Ortrud), Kwangchul Youn (King Henry), Mahler Chamber Orchestra

    Performance 8
    Venue: National Theatre, Munich
    Program: Giuseppe Verdi, Macbeath
    Performers: Andrea Battistoni (conductor), Amartuvshin Enkhbat (Macbeth), Roberto Tagliavini (Banco), Saioa Hernández (Lady Macbeth), SeokJong Baek (Macduff), Samuel Stopford (Malcolm), Bayerisches Staatsorchester

    Performance 9
    Venue: National Theatre, Munich
    Program: Richard Wagner, Parsifal
    Performers: Sebastian Weigle (conductor),  Georg Baselitz (set designer), Peter Mattei (Amfortas), Christof Fischesser (Gurnemanz), Clay Hilley (Parsifal), Josef Wagner (Klingsor), Nina Stemme (Kundry), Bayerisches Staatsorchester

  • SATURDAY 28 MARCH – ARRIVAL (canapés)

    The tour begins in the hotel at 6.00pm when you meet tour leader Robert Gay for welcome drinks and canapés. First of nine nights in Baden-Baden.

     

    SUNDAY 29 MARCH – BADEN-BADEN & PERFORMANCE 1 (B, L)

    Baden-Baden is a spa town situated on the fringes of the Black Forest, and served as a summer capital of Europe during the Belle Époque. This morning, after a talk in the hotel by tour leader Robert Gay, we explore the history of the city on a walking tour which includes the Roman bath ruins and the Leopoldsplatz, followed by a welcome lunch together.  In the early evening, we transfer to the Festspielhaus for a remarkable concert where Hélène Grimaud and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra perform Brahms’s Piano Concerto No.1 in the first half, followed after the interval by Schumann’s Piano Concerto.

    Performance details
    Venue: Festspielhaus
    Program: Johannes Brahms, Piano Concerto No.1; Robert Schumann, Piano Concerto
    Performers: Hélène Grimaud (piano) directs the Mahler Chamber Orchestra

     

    MONDAY 30 MARCH – WINE VILLAGES & PERFORMANCE 2 (B, L)

    A short distance to the south-west of Baden-Baden the sun-drenched Rebland wine region nestles between the Rhine River and the Black Forest, providing perfect conditions for growing Riesling and Pinot Noir varietals. We explore the medieval town of Steinbach and the alleyways and half-timbered houses in Neuweier, before enjoying a wine tasting and lunch at one of the excellent vineyards. Returning to the hotel, the later afternoon is at leisure. This evening, chief conductor designate, Klaus Mäkelä, conducts the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in a traditional Easter performance of Bach’s sublime St Matthew Passion.

    Performance details
    Venue: Festspielhaus
    Program: Johann Sebastian Bach, St Matthew Passion
    Performers: Klaus Mäkelä (conductor), Maximilian Schmitt (Evangelist), Matthew Brook (Christ), Julia Lezhneva (soprano), Tim Mead (alto), Laurence Kilsby (tenor), Krešimir Stražanac (bass), Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

     

    TUESDAY 31 MARCH – STRASBOURG (B, L)

    Today we cross into France to the Alsatian city of Strasbourg, a unique city straddling German and French cultures and boasting a rich architectural heritage. After morning coffee, we have a guided walking tour of the inner city, including the Cathedral of Nôtre-Dame, Strasbourg’s Gothic masterpiece. After a typical Alsace-Lorraine lunch, there is time to explore the city at your own pace before we return to Baden-Baden, where the evening is at leisure.

     

    WEDNESDAY 01 APRIL - FRIEDER BURDA MUSEUM & PERFORMANCE 3 (B)

    After a talk by Robert Gay in our hotel, we make our way to the nearby Frieder Burda Museum, where a museum guide introduces us to the collection of over 1000 works of modern and contemporary art amassed by the passionate collector and philanthropist. There will also be time for you to explore the temporary exhibitions independently. This evening the young Swedish violinist Daniel Lozakovich performs Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No.1 with Klaus Mäkelä directing the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, followed after the interval by Mahler’s Fifth Symphony.

    Performance details
    Venue: Festspielhaus
    Program: Max Bruch, Violin Concerto No.1 ; Gustav Mahler, Symphony No.5
    Performers: Klaus Mäkelä (conductor), Daniel Lozakovich (violin), Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

     

    THURSDAY 02 APRIL - BAROQUE RASTATT & PERFORMANCE 4 (B)

    Today we travel by coach to the small Black Forest town of Rastatt, noted for its wealth of baroque architecture. The impressive Residential Palace with its gardens is the epitome of a baroque residence. Our guided tour takes us through the staterooms, lavishly decorated with stucco work and frescoes, and the Ancestral Hall with motifs depicting the victory over the Ottoman legions. After a break for lunch, we visit the Schloss Favorite, the summer residence and hunting lodge built for the Margravine Sibylla Augusta of Baden-Baden which is set in an idyllic English-style landscaped park. The building contains an unparalleled collection of early Meissen and Chinese porcelain. In the mid-afternoon, we return to our hotel before this evening’s performance in the Festspielhaus of Bruckner’s Symphony No.8, with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Klaus Mäkelä.

    Performance details
    Venue: Festspielhaus
    Program: Anton Bruckner, Symphony No.8
    Performers: Klaus Mäkelä (conductor), Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

     

    FRIDAY 03 APRIL - GREAT MUSICIANS & PERFORMANCE 5 (B)

    There is a talk by Robert Gay in our hotel this morning before we discover the enduring relationship of music to Baden-Baden, with a walking tour focusing on the great composers and musicians associated with the city. At the Brahms House, we see the tiny room where Brahms lived and composed whenever he was visiting Clara Schumann. We return to the hotel for an afternoon at leisure. This evening Joana Mallwitz conducts the Mahler Chamber Orchestra in a Good Friday performance of Benjamin Britten’s moving War Requiem, the text of which is based on an inspired combination of the traditional Latin Mass with the war poetry of Wilfred Owen.

    Performance details
    Venue: Festspielhaus
    Program: Benjamin Britten, War Requiem
    Performers: Joana Mallwitz (conductor), Bogdan Volkov (tenor soloist), Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno

     

    SATURDAY 04 APRIL - SPEYER & PERFORMANCE 6 (B)

    This morning we travel by coach to Speyer, one of Germany’s oldest cities. We have a guided tour of the imperial Cathedral of St Mary and St Stephen, an important Romanesque construction dating back to the 11th century. Situated nearby, the Historical Museum of the Palatinate features impressive collections documenting the history of the region. There is time for independent exploration of the museum and free time for lunch before returning to Baden-Baden. This evening, the Latvian mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča gives us an evening of song.

    Performance details
    Venue: Festspielhaus
    Program: Song recital, full program TBA
    Performers: Elīna Garanča, mezzo-soprano; pianist TBA

     

    SUNDAY 05 APRIL - EASTER SUNDAY & PERFORMANCE 7 (B)

    This morning, Robert Gay gives a pre-performance briefing, before we gather for a special Easter Sunday lunch in a fine local restaurant. After some time at leisure, we meet again in the late afternoon for our final performance at the festival, a new production of Wagner’s Lohengrin with Joana Mallwitz conducting the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Piotr Beczała sings the role of the Swan Knight, while 2025 Beverly Sills Artist award winner, Rachel Willis-Sørensen, sings Elsa. Final night in Baden-Baden.

    Performance details
    Venue: Festspielhaus
    Program: Wagner, Lohengrin
    Performers: Joana Mallwitz (conductor), Johannes Erath (director), Piotr Beczała (Lohengrin), Rachel Willis-Sørensen (Elsa ), Wolfgang Koch (Telramund), Tanja Ariane Baumgartner (Ortrud), Kwangchul Youn (King Henry), Mahler Chamber Orchestra

    MONDAY 06 APRIL - TO MUNICH (B, D)

    Today we depart Baden-Baden and travel by coach to Munich, a thriving cultural centre with a vibrant musical tradition. We make an autobahn lunch-stop on the way, before arriving in Munich and checking into our hotel. After time to relax and freshen up, we gather for dinner in a local restaurant. First of three nights in Munich.

     

    TUESDAY 07 APRIL - ALTE PINAKOTHEK & PERFORMANCE 8 (B)

    After a morning talk in our hotel, we have a guided introduction to the Alte Pinakothek’s outstanding collection of European paintings from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century. Artistic luminaries such as Dürer, Rubens, Raphael and Titian are all well represented. After time to continue exploring the museum independently, the rest of the afternoon is at leisure before tonight’s performance of Verdi’s Macbeth in the National Theatre.

    Performance details
    Venue: National Theatre, Munich
    Program: Giuseppe Verdi, Macbeath
    Performers: Andrea Battistoni (conductor), Amartuvshin Enkhbat (Macbeth), Roberto Tagliavini (Banco), Saioa Hernández (Lady Macbeth), SeokJong Baek (Macduff), Samuel Stopford (Malcolm), Bayerisches Staatsorchester

     

    WEDNESDAY 08 APRIL - LENBACHHAUS MUSEUM & PERFORMANCE 9 (B, L)

    This morning we visit the Lenbachhaus Museum, housed in a Tuscan-style villa that was the former residence of society painter Franz von Lenbach. The museum presents works from the 19th century, including the world’s largest collection of paintings by the ‘Blue Rider’ group, founded by Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc in Munich in 1911. There is time to explore the permanent and temporary exhibits independently before we enjoy a farewell lunch together. Later this afternoon, our musical journey culminates with Wagner’s final opera, Parsifal, with sets designed by the renowned German painter Georg Baselitz.

    Performance details
    Venue: National Theatre, Munich
    Program: Richard Wagner, Parsifal
    Performers: Sebastian Weigle (conductor),  Georg Baselitz (set designer), Peter Mattei (Amfortas), Christof Fischesser (Gurnemanz), Clay Hilley (Parsifal), Josef Wagner (Klingsor), Nina Stemme (Kundry), Bayerisches Staatsorchester

     

    THURSDAY 09 APRIL - DEPARTURE (B)

    Our tour concludes after breakfast in the hotel.

  • Aqua Aurelia 4* Baden-Baden, 9 nights

    https://www.aquaaurelia.de/

    Centrally-located and family-run suite hotel, with access to the thermal baths and hot springs. The light-filled and spacious suites start from a generous 35sqm, with private balconies or terraces, and are ideally suited for our 9-night stay. The onsite restaurant offers regional specialities and Mediterranean dishes.

     

    NH Collection Munich 4* Munich, 3 nights

    https://www.nh-hotels.com/en/hotel/nh-collection-muenchen-bavaria

    Conveniently located next to Munich train station, the hotel is within walking distance of Marienplatz and the Old Town. The recently renovated rooms offer a modern design and are equipped with Nespresso machines.

     

    NB: hotels of a similar standard may be substituted.

    • 12 nights’ accommodation at 4* hotels

    • All breakfasts and 6 lunches or dinners

    • Best available tickets to 9 performances

    • All ground transport, guided tours and entrance fees to sites as mentioned in the itinerary, and tipping

    • Talks by and expertise of an Australian tour leader throughout

    • Services of a German-speaking tour manager throughout

  • A $2,000pp deposit is required at the time of booking to hold your place on tour.

    A second deposit of $2,500pp is due on 28 November 2025.

    We will invoice you for final payment for the tour, due on 12 January 2026.

  • When you book on one of tours, we ask you to accept our terms and conditions. You can read our terms and conditions here.

BOOK YOUR PLACE

A deposit of $2,000pp is required at the time of booking to hold your place on this tour

NEED TIME TO CONFIRM YOUR PLANS?

You can hold a place with no obligation for 7 days while you check your other arrangements

questions?

Get in touch with us by email or call us on (02) 8599 4201