New Year's Eve Concert 2026 - Beethoven - Missa Solemnis - Opening of Beethoven Year 2027

Kantorei St. Martin Kassel marks the opening of Beethoven Year 2027 with an exceptional musical event. On 31 December 2026, as part of their traditional New Year's Eve concert, the choir performs one of the most significant works in music history: Ludwig van Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis".

This monumental mass is considered one of Beethoven's most demanding and profoundly moving works. Its grand musical architecture and spiritual depth place the highest demands on the choir, soloists, and orchestra - it ranks among the most impressive sacred compositions in the European musical tradition.

The performance of "Missa Solemnis" in Kassel is a special occasion: the last performance of this masterpiece took place over a decade ago. Now the work will be heard again in the documenta city - under the direction of Eckhard Manz, director of church music, renowned for his interpretive clarity and artistic vision.

With this concert, Kantorei St. Martin not only opens a new year but also sends an artistic signal for 2027 - a year entirely dedicated to Beethoven and his enduring impact on music and the human spirit. Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis" stands as a symbol of the breakthrough into a new musical world - one shaped by freedom, humanity, and profound existential questions.

The New Year's Eve concert promises to be both a festive and moving conclusion to the year, inviting the audience to bid farewell to the old year and welcome Beethoven's year through a work that remains one of the most impressive creations in music history.

Melissa Domingues - soprano
Natalie Jurk - alto
NN - tenor
Christian Oldenburg - bass
Kantorei St. Martin
Orchester St. Martin
KMD Eckhard Manz, conductor