Fête de la musique | Hochschulchor der Musikhochschule Mainz

“The fête is always a surprise bag. You never know who will show up!” Damaris Ziegler-Krethe, the organizer and initiator of the Oppenheim Fête de la Musique is looking forward to this year's event. The idea that originated in Paris in 1982, which quickly spread like a snowball into a global event, inspired the native Frenchwoman to establish this creative music festival in her current hometown of Oppenheim.

For the sixth time, music will resound on Sunday, June 21, on big and small stages, in gardens and courtyards. It is a celebration of musical diversity. Whether professionals or music-loving amateurs, they all make the city resonate on this longest day of the year.

And as always, St. Katharinen will also mix bright colors into the musical palette at the concert at 7 p.m.:
The Greek-Hungarian conductor Mihály Zeke is likely familiar with the Fête de la musique, as he held the position of choir director at the Opéra de Dijon from 2012 to 2015, and simultaneously led the young German-French chamber choir Candides to 1st prize in the international choir competition in Switzerland in 2014. After positions in Stuttgart and Tübingen, he has been a professor of choral conducting at the University of Music in Mainz since the winter semester 2023/24. He fills the musical surprise bag of the Oppenheim fête with a multifaceted choral concert program.

And if one can compose light, cheerfulness, and lightness, then this is perhaps best captured in a piece of music composed by the young Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. He gathered it during his trip to Italy and poured the inner images into music upon his return to Germany. What we love about Italy flows from the 4th Symphony, his “Italian,” and is unfolded in all shades on the richly colorful Woehl organ of St. Katharinen Church by the organ duo Katrin and Ralf Bibiella.

Sunday, June 21, 7 p.m.
Fête de la Musique
University Choir of the University of Music Mainz
Conducted by: Prof. Mihály Zeke
Organ: Propsteikantor Ralf Bibiella and Dr. Katrin Bibiella