Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759) was a German-born composer who spent most of his career in England, where he became a naturalized British citizen in 1727. One of the towering figures of the Baroque era, he wrote over 40 operas, 29 oratorios, and a large body of orchestral and keyboard music. His oratorio Messiah (1741) remains among the most performed choral works in history, while Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks have never left the concert repertoire.
The Händel-Festspiele Halle 2026 opened on 5 June with a new production of Rinaldo, running until 14 June across more than 80 events at 27 venues.
The 2026 Händel-Festspiele Halle carries the theme 'Masculinities: Heroes, Rulers, Heartbreakers', exploring gender roles in Händel's operas and oratorios under new director Florian Amort.
Messiah is scheduled as the closing concert of the 2026 Händel-Festspiele, performed in the church where Händel was baptized.
The Händel-Festspiele Halle 2025 attracted nearly 41,000 visitors from around the world to Händel's birthplace.
The Handel and Haydn Society in Boston performed Messiah for the 172nd consecutive year in November 2025.
A concert celebrating the works of George Frideric Handel in his former home, now a museum in Halle.
A gala concert of Händel's music at the Badisches Staatstheater in Karlsruhe, celebrating one of the Baroque era's greatest composers.