Showcase Festival

Classical:NEXT presents artists and ensembles from around the world that push the boundaries and extend the horizons of art music.

The Showcase Festival features a live concert series of artists and productions across different formats, providing a unique opportunity to experience a number of performances in a short amount of time.

The Festival is comprised of Daytime and Evening Showcases, Club Showcases and DJs with performances at the Innovation Award ceremony.

Classical:NEXT returns to Berlin in 2025

Save the Date: 12-15 May 2025

All 2024 Showcases

Showcase Filter
13 May, 2024
20:00
– 21:15
The Third Orchestra emerged in 2019 when the Barbican Centre hosted its launch in a residency.
13 May, 2024
20:00
– 21:15
Zafraan stands for music that reflects today’s life, today’s society, and today’s reality in all its facets.
13 May, 2024
20:00
– 21:15
The project »Selam Opera!« takes the Komische Oper Berlin’s self-image as an “opera house for everyone”.
13 May, 2024
20:00
– 21:15
Without sheet music – Without a conductor – Without chairs: Stegreif – The Improvising Symphony Orchestra.
13 May, 2024
20:00
– 21:15
The Akademie’s four-year bachelor program includes a stronger focus on the humanities and musicology.
Finland
14 May, 2024
13:30
– 14:00
A fresh, experimental collective, who are constantly searching for new ways to perform early music. They have created their unique sound by daringly rearranging elements from medieval music and Finnish folk songs with improvisation and electronic soundscapes.
Belgium
14 May, 2024
14:30
– 15:00
A young Belgian harpist specialising in contemporary classical music.
Germany
14 May, 2024
18:00
– 15:18
Outdoor Van Project
Germany
14 May, 2024
20:00
– 20:30
What happens when a pianist specialising in contemporary music meets three avant-garde musicians and they compose together in real time?
Spain
14 May, 2024
21:00
– 21:30
Laura Farré Rozada is an award-winning pianist and mathematician, deemed a ‘Rising Star’ by BBC Music Magazine and a ‘New Talent’
UK
14 May, 2024
22:00
– 22:30
The quartet named themselves after the Hungarian composer György Ligeti (1923-2006), inspired by his kaleidoscopic musical outlook
UK
14 May, 2024
22:30
– 00:00
Gabriel Prokofiev is a renowned composer, and pioneer in classical music DJ’ing.
France
14 May, 2024
23:15
– 23:45
Erwan Keravec is a highland bagpiper, composer and improviser.
Australia
14 May, 2024
23:59
– 00:45
Musician, improviser, collaborator, singer, songwriter and principally an electric violin player
The Netherlands
15 May, 2024
12:00
– 12:30
The Amsterdam-based Oorkaan Ensemble brings an explosion of colour and vibrant musical flair to the stage thanks to their unique instrument combination of harp, bass clarinet, bayan and percussion.
Brazil/USA
15 May, 2024
13:00
– 13:30
Representing Brazilian classical music in the prestigious “under 30” list of Forbes Brasil magazine Gabriele Leite is a young Brazilien who received her first formal musical studies as a little girl in a social project called Projeto Guri.
Czech Republic
15 May, 2024
17:00
– 17:30
Modern classical sextet vs robot playing real acoustic drums. Is it possible to make it work together?
Germany
15 May, 2024
18:00
– 22:00
Outdoor Van Project
Iran/Canada
15 May, 2024
20:00
– 20:30
Quartet Diminished was established by Ehsan Sadigh in 2013. Quartet Diminished crafts musical moments that blend individual and collective contemporary perspectives, ranging from defined compositions to improvised phases drawing inspiration from diverse musical sources.
Northern Ireland
15 May, 2024
21:00
– 21:30
Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble is a world class group of musicians based in Belfast, For the past eleven years they have been catalysts in the city’s vibrant contemporary music scene, developing close collaborations with many composers.
Germany/Hungary/ Netherlands/Italy/Austria
15 May, 2024
22:00
– 22:30
Founded in 2019 on the principles of chaos in the arts, science, and philosophy, the Chaos String Quartet combines a highly refined ensemble culture and a fiery vitality with a passion for exploring experimental and improvisational approaches.
UK
15 May, 2024
22:30
– 00:00
Blasio is a composer, producer and DJ working at the intersection of classical and afro-diasporic music.
Cuba
15 May, 2024
23:15
– 23:45
The group’s sonic universe is at once crafted and expansive, and defies genre categorization
Singapore
15 May, 2024
23:59
– 00:45
b-l duo (bertram wee / lynette yeo) is on a mission to play the creepiest, craziest keyboard music they can get their hands on.
Spain
16 May, 2024
20:45
– 21:15
I am a restless musician: a percussionist, composer and sound creator specialising in classical, contemporary and world music.
UK
16 May, 2024
22:00
– 23:00
Making classical music accessible to more people, that is the goal of Candlelight Concerts made by Fever.

Around Classical:NEXT in Berlin

ALL TIMES IN CENTRAL EASTERN SUMMER TIME (CEST)

Fri, 10 May 2024

Time
Location
Artists
Programme
Ticket & Info
19:00
Staatsoper Unter den Linden
Beat Furrer: Violetter Schnee
Ticket & Info
19:30
Komische Oper (Schillertheater)
W.A. Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro
Ticket & Info
20:00
Philharmonie Berlin
Berliner Philharmoniker
Kirill Petrenko, conductor
Bedřich Smetana: Má vlast (Mein Vaterland)
Ticket & Info
20:00
Konzerthaus Berlin
Academy of St. Martins in the Fields
Julia Fischer, violin and conductor
Works of Beethoven, Bartok and Schubert
Ticket & Info

Sat, 11 May 2024

Time
Location
Artists
Programme
Ticket & Info
19:00
Staatsoper Unter den Linden
W.A. Mozart: Die Zauberflöte
Ticket & Info
19:30
Staatsballett Berlin (Tischlerei)
Next Generation
Ticket & Info
19:30
Komische Oper (Schillertheater)
Jerry Herman / Harvey Fierstein:
La Cage aux Folles
Ticket & Info
20:00
Philharmonie Berlin
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Andris Poga, conductor
Lili Boulanger: D’un soir triste
Henri Dutilleux: Tout un monde lointain
Hector Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique
Ticket & Info

Sun, 12 May 2024

Time
Location
Artists
Programme
Ticket & Info
11:00
Bode-Museum (Gobelinsaal)
Members of Staatskapelle Berlin
Museum Concert VIII
Works of Gioachino Rossini
Ticket & Info
15:00
Staatsballett Berlin (Tischlerei)
Next Generation
Ticket & Info
16:00
Komische Oper (Schillertheater)
W.A. Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro
Ticket & Info
18:00
Staatsoper Unter den Linden
G. Puccini: Madama Butterfly
Ticket & Info
18:00
Pierre Boulez Saal
JACK Quartet
Carrot Revolution: works of Ruth Crawford Seeger, Morton Feldman, Gabriella Smith and more
Ticket & Info
19:00
Staatsballett Berlin (Tischlerei)
Next Generation
Ticket & Info
20:00
Konzerthaus Berlin
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin
Tarmo Peltokoski, conductor
Richard Strauss: Vier letzte Lieder
Dmitri Schostakowitsch: Sinfonie Nr. 10
Ticket & Info

Fri, 17 May 2024

Time
Location
Artists
Programme
Ticket & Info
19:00
Staatsoper Unter den Linden
W.A. Mozart: Don Giovanni
Ticket & Info
20:00
Philharmonie Berlin (Kammermusiksaal)
Karajan-Akademie der Berliner Philharmoniker
Kirill Petrenko, conductor
Works of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Jörg Widmann
Ticket & Info
20:00
Philharmonie Berlin
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Václav Luks, conductor
Louise Farrenc: Overtüre Nr. 1 e-Moll op. 23
Jan Václav Vorišek: Symphonie D-Dur op.23
Ludwig van Beethoven: Violinkonzert D-Dur
Ticket & Info

Sat, 18 May 2024

Time
Location
Artists
Programme
Ticket & Info
19:00
Philharmonie Berlin
Berliner Philharmoniker
François-Xavier Roth, conductor
Vito Žuraj and Anton Bruckner
Ticket & Info
19:30
Komische Oper (Schillertheater)
Jerry Herman / Harvey Fierstein:
La Cage aux Folles
Ticket & Info
20:00
Staatsballett Berlin
Ouverture
Ticket & Info

Sun, 19 May 2024

Time
Location
Artists
Programme
Ticket & Info
All day
Karneval der Kulturen parade (Carnival of Cultures)
A full on multicultural carnival!
Free, all over Kreuzberg
18:00
Staatsoper Unter den Linden
W.A. Mozart: Don Giovanni
Ticket & Info
18:00
Komische Oper (Schillertheater)
W.A. Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro
Ticket & Info
20:00
Philharmonie Berlin
Berliner Philharmoniker
François-Xavier Roth, conductor
Vito Žuraj and Anton Bruckner
Ticket & Info
20:00
Philharmonie Berlin (Kammermusiksaal)
Kammerakademie Potsdam Antonello Manacorda, conductor Kirill Gerstein, piano
Christoph Willibald Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice (Ouvertüre)
Ludwig van Beethoven: Konzert für Klavier und Orchester
Robert Schumann: Symphonie Nr. 3 Es-Dur
Ticket & Info

About Showcases

What is a showcase?

The Classical:NEXT Showcases are selected by an international jury of experts to present a wide range of high-quality artists and productions in every category from early to contemporary, traditional to experimental. Soloists and small ensembles as well as large ensembles, opera productions or musical theatre projects can be presented through a showcase concert.

These four late-night showcases offer the chance to see outstanding NEXT artists perform at Holzmarkt 25 in an intimate and relaxed atmosphere, together with Classical:NEXT DJs on Wednesday and Thursday night.

The Opening Artists perform at the Opening Ceremony of Classical:NEXT, kicking off with a gala that showcases the NEXT music of a specific country.

The Pop Up Stage presents artists and projects outside of the usual concert setting in a relaxed, interactive atmosphere.

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now!

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Shape the future of art music together with 1,000 professionals from 50 countries. Register now and save!