1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
Live TV
Latest audioLatest videos
In focus
Israel and the crisis in the Middle EastGerman coalition collapseUS election
A statue of Ludwig von Beethoven in Bonn's Münsterplatz square with the Bonn post office in the background
Image: Martin Meissner/AP Photo/picture allianceImage: Martin Meissner/AP Photo/picture alliance

Beethovenfest

Every September, the city of Bonn honors its son Ludwig van Beethoven with a four-week music festival. The festival was first held on a small scale in 1845, and today the program features around 60 performances.

Skip next section All Content on this topic

All Content on this topic

6 people stand, one holding an award statue

BTHVN2020 is Cultural Brand of the Year

The Beethoven anniversary project wins the European Cultural Brand Award 2021, which recognizes strong media brands.
CultureDecember 2, 2021
Herbert Blomstadt conducts an orchestra

DW Festival Concert: Beethovenfest Bonn 2021

After being suspended last year due to COVID, the Beethovenfest Bonn was back in 2021 with an impressive lineup.
MusicNovember 16, 2021
Symbolbild Klassische Musik

Beethovenfest Bonn 2021

This year's Beethovenfest Bonn featured 94-year-old Swedish conductor Herbert Blomstedt conducting the Vienna Philharmonic
MusicNovember 15, 2021116:51 min
A photograph of Kent Nagano with an an orchestra in the background

Kent Nagano conducts final concert of the Beethovenfest Bonn

For the final concert of the Beethoven Year, Kent Nagano conducts the Missa Solemnis in the Cologne Cathedral.
CultureOctober 29, 2021
A painting of Ludwig van Beethoven holding up his hand.

Beethoven's last symphony finished by AI

Researchers used algorithms to finish composing Beethoven's 10th. Are computer programs as creative as human musicians?
MusicOctober 9, 2021
Beethoven festival 2021 I Campusorchester

Musical world tour: The Campus project

The youth exchange project Campus celebrates its 20th anniversary, letting music transcend borders.
CultureSeptember 23, 202105:51 min
DW Arts.21 (Sendungslogo Kultur.21 englisch)

Blazing a trail with classical music

Arts 21 explores how classical music transcends boundaries and creates communities.
CultureSeptember 23, 202126:01 min
Herbert Blomstedt

World's oldest conductor energized by music

At 94, Herbert Blomstedt is as active as ever. He spoke to DW about Beethoven, the power of music and faith.
MusicSeptember 8, 2021
Zeynep Gedizlioglu, Komponistin

Beethovenfest composer: Zeynep Gedizlioglu

Turkish composer Zeynep Gedizlioglu’s composition is an ode to present-day, COVID-induced isolation.
MusicAugust 31, 2021
Conductor Jordi Savall at the 2021 Beethovenfest in Bonn

Beethovenfest 2021

The Beethovenfest in Bonn celebrates the musical genius of the legendary German composer and is on until September 10.
MusicAugust 27, 2021
A woman wearing Indian clothes dances onstage in front of a group of musicians

Campus-Project: 20 years of global music making

The Beethovenfest and DW project brings together young musicians from around the world who connect through music.
MusicAugust 26, 2021
Classical performers at the Beethovenfest 2021 opening concert.

Beethovenfest 2021 takes off

This year's festival in Bonn opened with a marathon of Beethoven's symphonies and a benefit concert for flood victims.
CultureAugust 23, 2021
Portrait of Nike Wagner, director of the Beethovenfest, smiling into the camera.

Beethovenfest's Nike Wagner takes stock

The Beethovenfest director talks to DW about her tenure of the festival and Beethoven's relevance in today's world.
MusicAugust 18, 2021
Ricky Kej at the forefront of a street scene blurred in the background, wearing a beard

An Indian take on Beethoven

Indian composer Ricky Kej covers Beethoven in an appeal to save the planet.
Nature and EnvironmentJuly 8, 202106:34 min
Musicians hold framed drums, also known as the daf in Persian

Oriental music meets Beethoven

Echoing Beethoven's humanism, the project "1001 Measures between Bonn and Babylon" fosters East-West dialogue.
MusicJuly 5, 2021
Oksana Lyniv

Oksana Lyniv, Bayreuth's first female conductor

The Ukrainian conductor, the first woman to head the orchestra at the Richard Wagner festival, discusses her work.
CultureJune 25, 2021
A large bight painting of man sticking his tongue out on a house wall

Famous quotes: Why are so many fake?

How do fake quotes enter the popular lexicon, and can we find their true origins?
CultureMarch 24, 2021
Beethovenfest 2019 | South-African a.capella band Just 6

Six Voices in Johannesburg

An a cappella choir from South Africa on singing together in Corona times, without any gigs.
CultureFebruary 25, 202107:01 min
Bayreuth Festival's main performance venue, the Richard Wagner Festspielhaus

What's up in classical music festivals for 2021?

Organizers in Germany and Austria are hopeful even as they present modified plans for spring and summer concerts.
CultureFebruary 12, 2021
A copper engraving of Ludwig van Beethoven from 1814

Did the genius composer miss a beat?

Everybody makes mistakes and so did Beethoven. Experts believe he may have miscalculated the tempo of some symphonies.
CultureJanuary 27, 2021
Neon sign of 2021

What's on in 2021?

We'll be in the throes of COVID in 2021 as well, but here’s an overview of cultural events planned in the New Year.
CultureJanuary 1, 2021
Deutschland Saman Haddad Bonn | Portrait

From refugee to transcultural ambassador

Saman Haddad came to Germany from Iraq with his parents when he was just 13. Now, he's a cultural ambassador.
CultureDecember 26, 2020
08.2012 DW Feature Schumann at Pier2 Paavo Järvi 02

'Every year is Beethoven year'

Beethoven's anniversary year was going to be big — then COVID-19 came. Conductor Paavo Jarvi tells DW about his year.
CultureDecember 23, 2020
Daniel Barenboim

Daniel Barenboim conducts on Beethoven's anniversary

In the extended Beethoven anniversary year, major highlights are still to come.
MusicDecember 17, 2020
Bonn | Beethovenstatue mit Mundschutz

Beethoven's 250th birthday: A muted celebration

The world has been celebrating Beethoven's 250th birthday this year, but many events were axed due to the coronavirus.
CultureDecember 16, 2020
Beethoven 's Ninth - excerpt of the score

Beethoven's 'Unfinished' symphony

Beethoven's unfinished 10th symphony will be completed with the help of artificial intelligence.
CultureDecember 13, 202003:01 min
Ricky Kej, composer, winner of a Grammy and environment activist from India

Beethoven and Nature: Indian Musician Ricky Kej

Indian film composer Ricky Kej brings Beethoven and environmental activism together on stage.
CultureDecember 13, 202003:34 min
Ludwig van Beethoven playing an electric guitar

Beethoven: Creator of the rock riff

Without Beethoven, many things wouldn’t have happened in music, including some iconic rock riffs.
CultureDecember 13, 202004:38 min
Working on the movie "Project Baghdad"

Beethoven in Baghdad

Goethe's Egmont set to Beethoven’s music—an adventurous undertaking in the middle of Baghdad.
CultureDecember 13, 202004:31 min
Bonn - Beethovenhaus

Visit the Beethoven House in Bonn

A new permanent exhibition shows what Beethoven was like as a person, as well as an artist.
TravelDecember 12, 202004:57 min
Land art portrait of Beethoven by Dario Gambarin

Land art portraits: Ludwig van Beethoven and more

Artist Dario Gambarin has created a huge depiction of the composer Beethoven. Check out his other land art works.
CultureDecember 9, 20208 images
A snowy town with an installation promoting the Beethovenfest in Yekaterinburg

'Be@thoven': a Beethoven fest east of the Urals

Celebrating Beethoven's 250th, an international festival is creating movement in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg.
MusicNovember 24, 2020
Musicians play the cello blindfolded

The #bebeethoven project searches for Beethoven

What would Beethoven have done today? Twelve young artists pursue this question.
CultureOctober 14, 2020
"DW News" Sendungslogo (Composite)

Beethovenfest hosts one and only show in building site

Amid the coronavirus closure of the 2020 Beethhovenfest, the Rimini Collective artists group will host a "theatrical inspection" at Bonn's storied Beethovenhalle, now a construction site.
CultureSeptember 16, 202003:45 min
Sarah Willis holds a french horn, smiling. She is sitting in a rehearsal hall. 

A world without Beethoven? New DW film launches

From rock to jazz, the composer left his mark on many musical genres. A new documentary by DW explores the topic.
CultureSeptember 16, 2020
Bonn | Beethovenstatue mit Mundschutz

South Korea celebrates Beethoven

German Maestro Christoph Poppen made South Korea's Beethoven Fest would still take place.
MusicSeptember 3, 202003:03 min
Deutschland Beethovenhalle Bonn, 2020, Beethovenfest

Beethovenfest's only show — in a building site

Amid the coronavirus closure of Beethhovenfest, an artists' group will explore Bonn's Beethovenhalle mid-renovation.
CultureAugust 24, 2020
Kent Nagano on the left; Beethoven on the right

Why Beethoven? 11 answers from Kent Nagano

The American conductor shares some thoughts on what Ludwig van Beethoven means to all of us.
MusicAugust 21, 2020
external

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony

Some 200 artists performed Beethoven's Ninth Symphony along a 2.5-kilometer stretch of rail line.
LifestyleAugust 10, 202004:46 min
Painting of Ludwig van Beethoven at the piano

250 years of Schott Music publisher

Beethoven was a godsend for the Schott music publishing company; Wagner was a challenge, but he still brought in money.
CultureJune 18, 2020
external

Beethoven's Sixth Symphony

On World Environment Day of this Beethoven year 2020, his 6th Symphony makes a plea for the planet.
MusicJune 5, 202002:02 min
DW Doku | Der Klang der Natur

Beethoven - The sound of nature

2020 marks the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth.
MusicJune 4, 202042:36 min
DW Pastorale-Projekt | Klassik für den Klimaschutz

Classical music for climate protection

On June 5, the program for the "Pastoral Project" will be streamed live from Bonn.
CultureJune 4, 2020
Beethoven-Orchester Bonn | Pastorale-Projekt

Beethoven's Pastoral in pandemic times

It wasn't easy for the Beethoven orchestra to practice for a concert honoring World Environment Day.
MusicJune 3, 2020
DW-Aktion „Wir sind Deutschland“ Nike Wagner

Nike Wagner on Beethoven resurrected

The director of Bonn's Beethovenfest reveals her plans for the time during and after the coronavirus crisis.
MusicMay 22, 2020
A statue of Beethoven in Bonn

Beethoven anniversary Undeterred by coronavirus

Standout events in Ludwig van Beethoven's hometown are being scheduled for a hopefully post-pandemic 2021.
MusicMay 20, 2020
Deutschland | Beethovenfest | Steven Walter

Steven Walter to direct the Beethovenfest

A visionary musical manager, Walter has been named the Beethovenfest Bonn's new artistic director.
MusicMay 4, 2020
At a concert, Wilhelm Furtwängler bows to the audience, including Hitler and other Nazis in the front row

Beethoven as Nazi propaganda

The Nazis systematically used Beethoven's music for their political purposes. They were not the only ones.
MusicMay 4, 2020
Violine Konzert Geige Klassik

How music festivals master the coronavirus crisis

Many classical music festivals have been canceled, but new ideas are also springing up to celebrate Bach and Beethoven.
MusicApril 21, 2020
Kombo Minona von Stackelberg und Ludwig van Beethoven

Did Beethoven have a daughter?

Who was Minona? It's believed that Ludwig van Beethoven had an illegitimate child with one of his lovers.
MusicApril 13, 2020