Bach Festivals & Cantata Series
Thüringer Bachwochen

Name:

Thüringer Bachwochen = Thuringia Bach Festival (TBW)

Location:

Arnstadt, Dornheim, Eisenach, Erfurt, Gotha, Mühlhausen, Ohrdruf, Waltershausen, Weimar, Wechmar - Thuringia, Germany

Venues:

J.S. Bach was born in Thuringia and lived in various places in the province. Venues for events vary from year to year. They have included:
Arnstadt: Bachkirche Arnstadt
Dornheim: Bartholomäuskirche, where J.S. Bach married his first wife, Maria Barbara Bach
Eisenach: Georgenkirche Eisenach, Bachhaus, Wartburg
Erfurt: Augustinerkloster, Erfurt Cathedral, Predigerkirche, Theater Erfurt
Gotha: Margarethenkirche
Jena: Stadkirche St. Michael
Mühlhausen: Marienkirche, Blasiuskirche
Ohrdruf. Trinitatis, Ohrdruf
Schmalkalden: St. Georg, Schmalkalden
Waltershausen: Stadtkirche, Waltershausen
Wechmar: Bachhaus
Weimar: Deutsches Nationaltheater, St. Jakob, St. Peter und Paul, Schloss Weimar, Stadtkirche Weimar

Years:

Founded in 1992
Re-founded in 2005 with new concept, annual festival

Months:

March April - beginning a week before Easter and ending 2 weeks after Easter

Artistic Director:

Silvius von Kessel, chairman of the board
Christoph Drescher, festival director and general manager

Ensembles:

Guest ensembles and soloists (La Petite Bande, The Bach Ensemble,
Kammerorchester Basel, Collegium Vocale Gent, Orchestra of the 18^th Century, The Hilliard Ensemble, Swingle Singers, etc)

Website:

Thüringer Bachwochen

History & Mission:

The Thuringia Bach Festival is the largest festival of classical music in the Free State of Thuringia. Specialising in Baroque music and performing the works of J.S. Bach in authentic sites,the festival appeals to music lovers and tourists alike.
The state of Thuringia forms an ideal backdrop to the festival because of the unique role it played in the life of J.S. Bach. Thuringia is home to a wealth of authentic Bach sites, including the Bachhaus and Bach’s baptismal church in Eisenach, the church in Dornheim where he was married, Mühlhausen, Arnstadt and Weimar where he composed much of his early work, as well as his ancestral houses in Erfurt and Wechmar. These impressive settings provide a stage and an historical context for a series of ambitious concerts, which make up the programme of this festival.

Recent Festivals:

Original Festival (1992-2004):
11^th Festival: Mar 17-Apr 22, 2001
12^th Festival: 2002 ???
13^th Festival: Mar 12-Apr 20, 2003
14^th Festival: Mar 6, Apr 25, 2004

New Concept, Annual Festival:
1^st Festival: Mar 27-Apr 19, 2005
2^nd Festival: Mar 24-Apr 17, 2006
3^rd Festival: Mar 30-Apr 22, 2007
4^th Festival: Mar 14-Apr 6, 2008
5^th Festival: Apr 3-26, 2009
6^th Festival: Mar 26-Apr 18, 2010
7^th Festival: Apr 15-May 8, 2011
8^th Festival: Mar 30-Apr 22, 2012
9^th Festival: Mar 22-Apr 14, 2013*
10^th Festival: Apr 11-May 5, 2014

11^th Festival: Mar 27-Apr 19, 2015
12^th Festival: Mar 18-Apr 10, 2016
13^th Festival: Apr 7-May 1, 2017
14^th Festival: Mar 21-Apr 15, 2018
15^th Festival: Apr 12-May 5, 2019
No Festival: Apr 3-26, 2020 (cancelled, Covid-19)
No Festival: Jun 24-Sep 21, 2021 (cancelled, Covid-19)
16^th Festival: Apr 8-May 1, 2022
17^rd Festival: Mar 31-Apr 23, 2023
18^th Festival: Mar 21-Apr 14, 2024
19^th Festival: Apr 11-May 4, 2025
20^th Festival: Mar 27-Apr 19, 2026

Logo: