February
March 2026
The Mahler Chamber Orchestra is set to present its third edition of Musikwoche Hitzacker, a long established festival in Northern Germany, with the orchestra taking over the Artistic Direction since 2024. The 40th anniversary edition of the festival, entitled "Secret Messages", features a diverse programme over ten concert days (20 February through 1 March, 2026), including orchestra and chamber music performances, a children's concert, a spatial sound recording, and multiple outreach and educational activities. Audiences can enjoy open rehearsals and a late night concert, as well as master classes for young musicians. French violist Antoine Tamestit will join the Orchestra for several concerts, as a soloist, chamber music and dialogue partner.
The small town of Hitzacker provides an intimate and charming setting, offering numerous opportunities for the audience to engage with the MCO musicians both on and off the stage. This close interaction and dialogue is a hallmark of what makes the festival unique. Some of the highlights from this year's Musikwoche will be taken on tour when Antoine Tamestit and the MCO perform at the prestigious Philharmonie Berlin on 2 March.
