Is Georg Arzberger so beaming because he remembers the fantastic first music festival in Blumenthal in 2021? Or because he’s already looking forward to this year’s sequel? What is certain is that the founder and musical director has every reason to be proud of his four-day festival. For the concerts from Thursday, September 1st to Sunday, September 4th, the 41-year-old professional clarinetist and university professor from Dachau has again invited top-class and internationally acclaimed musician colleagues. This year he can once again present a program that many a large concert hall would like to have – quite apart from the unique ambience of the Blumenthal palace grounds.
“For the heart, for the climate, for everyone” is the motto of the climate-neutral festival, which also corresponds to the spirit of the venue. Because the community, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, has put its heart and soul into renovating the former Fugger Castle and its outbuildings and bringing them back to life. Among other things, climate-friendly organic farming is practiced here, and ultimately the inviting area with gastronomy, beer garden, seminar rooms and hotel is open to everyone.
For Georg Arzberger, who spent his childhood and youth in neighboring Sielenbach, the site is a piece of home. So it was a matter close to the heart of the celebrated clarinettist, even after his return from national and international stages and teaching at universities, to establish a festival here for everyone. With well-known colleagues and at prices that a wide audience can afford. “In any case, it’s much cheaper than is charged elsewhere,” emphasizes Georg Arzberger.
1000 paying visitors came to the first music festival in 2021
Last year’s event was sponsored by the Leader project, among others. The fact that this is no longer available this year is of course a challenge for the organizer. After the excellent response in 2021, when around 1000 paying visitors came, he is confident that he will be able to make ends meet despite the low prices. He is hoping for a great response to the offer of a supporter package: the ticket for the final concert including a drink before the concert and a VIP seat reservation is available for 100 euros.
The palace garden provides the concerts with an idyllic backdrop.
(Photo: private)
The Dachau clarinettist Georg Arzberger is organizing the classical music festival for the second time.
(Photo: Karoline Wolf/oh)
Not the Elbphilharmonie, but also Blumenthal Castle has beautiful concert venues with good acoustics.
(Photo: private)
However, a big problem for the audience will be making their choice on which of the four days they want to attend which concert. Would you like to come to the opening concert on September 1st at 7.30pm when the internationally acclaimed Mandelring Quartet plays with Georg Arzberger Johannes Brahms and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? Or do you decide for the next evening, if The New Lehel Quartet Combines jazz with classical music? A concert, by the way, that the musician, who otherwise only plays classical music, is particularly looking forward to and with which “he is breaking new ground.”
There is also the option of real musical delicacies on the following days. Namely on Saturday, September 3, at 10.30 a.m. the children’s concert “The Wind and the 13 Siblings” with Ingrid Hausl and musicians from the Camerata Vitilo, as well as at 7.30 p.m. another chamber concert by the Mandelring Quartet. The program includes string quartets by Mozart, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy and Dvorák. And then there is also the enchanting open-air traveling concert with musicians from the festival orchestra Camerata Vitilo, who give concerts at various points on the site. The event will be crowned by the final concert on Sunday at 7.30 p.m., when 13 musicians will play Mozart’s “Gran Partita” (Serenade No. 10) in all its beautiful sound and colourfulness.
There are free tickets for those in need
How good that ticket packages are being offered this year: for two days and two evening concerts (55 euros); for three days and three evening concerts (79 euros) and even a festival pass that includes all concerts for 109 euros. Admission tickets will also be donated to people in particular need in the region. The organizers are thus once again underscoring their social and sustainable commitment.
Georg Arzberger, who founded the festival together with the managing director and event manager Gertrud Deckers and has tweaked it a bit here and there for this year, is already “knitting” the 2023 music festival. Then he would like to take up even more social and ecological topics. This year, as part of the festival, trees are already being planted from part of the proceeds. “And next year, Children’s Day is to be extended to include Family Day. There will also be joint projects with music schools,” he says. The dedicated musician who connects people with music is pursuing a big goal. He wanted to “set a sign of how important culture is for society”.