Address: Schönebecker Str. 129, 39104 Magdeburg, Germany

The Gesellschaftshaus Magdeburg offers excellent conditions for the performance of classical chamber music ranging from baroque to contemporary and modern. As a municipal " Haus der Musik" (House of Music), the chamber music venue plays a central role in cultivating music in Saxony-Anhalt’s capital city of Magdeburg. This corresponds to the ideas of the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel, who designed the house entirely in the spirit of the city’s founders as a venue for entertainment, festivities, and concerts. The two halls of the Gesellschaftshaus make the performance of a wide range of musical programs possible by providing versatile acoustics suited for both instrumental and vocal ensembles of various styles. With the Center for Telemann Care and Research, the Gesellschaftshaus Magdeburg is home to a research institute of international repute. Thanks to these excellent facilities, four subscription series of baroque, piano and chamber music as well as the Central German Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra to date have been held in the Gesellschaftshaus. Additionally, the house plays host to various festivals with the participation of internationally renowned performers, a series of children’s concerts, and CD productions. Last but not least, the Gesellschaftshaus offers its rehearsal and performance venues to gifted amateur ensembles.

Photos: Gesellschaftshaus

Address: Johannisbergstraße 1, 39104 Magdeburg, Germany

The church was first referred to under the name of Sankt Johannis in 1160. The oldest merchant's church in Germany was destroyed several times and rebuilt time after time and became known primarily through the sermon of the reformer Martin Luther on June 26, 1524, with which Protestantism entered Magdeburg. On September 28, 1944 and January 16, 1945, the church was severely damaged during air raids on Magdeburg during World War II. After the war, clean-up began in 1953. In 2004, successive repairs were completed and the church was fully restored. Since then it has been used as a festival and concert hall of the city of Magdeburg. The bronze statue of Martin Luther in front of the church was created by Emil Hundrieser in 1886. For a time, the inscription "Doctor Martin Luther +1524+" was located at the base of the monument. After the fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification of Germany in 1989, the monument received the inscription " Gottes Wort mit uns in Ewigkeit" ("God's word with us forever").

Photos: Andreas Lander

Address: Am Dom 1, 39104 Magdeburg, Germany

The origins of Magdeburg Cathedral date back to 937, when Otto I founded a monastery in honor of Saint Mauritius, whose church he had extended from 955 and raised to cathedral status in 968. It is the first Gothic-style cathedral on German soil and one of the largest church buildings in Germany. Destroyed by a fire in 1207, the cathedral was rebuilt and consecrated in 1363. The 101-meter-high west towers were completed in 1520. Today you can experience a monumental, surprisingly bright and overwhelming space, containing unique and original furnishings of international esteem from almost all artistic eras. Inside, you can marvel at ancient showpieces as well as evidence of medieval craftsmanship, such as the tombs of Otto and Editha and the world-famous portal figures of the wise and foolish virgins. The cathedral has been a Protestant church since 1567.

Photos: Gotthard Demmel

Address: Regierungsstraße 4-6, 39104 Magdeburg, Germany

The Monastery of Our Lady is one of the most fascinating Romanesque buildings in Saxony-Anhalt and, as an art museum, is also one of the most important places for international contemporary art and sculpture in the state. The monastery was built at the beginning of the 11th century and boasts a striking group of towers and the adjoining church with ribbed vaulting as well as a picturesque cloister with a unique tonsure. As the Georg Philipp Telemann Concert Hall, the monastery church was the center of Magdeburg's concert life for many years. After several years of restoration work, the impressive space has shined in its new splendor and is once again home to musical events since 2022.

Photo: Nilz Böhme

Address: Nicolaipl., 39124 Magdeburg, Germany

The first church designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel stands in Magdeburg. The Nicolai Church, built between 1821 and 1824, still characterizes the Neue Neustadt district today. Together with the Hope Parish and the Reformation Parish of Rothensee, the parish of St. Nicolai forms the Kirchspiel Nord. An important focus of the congregation's work is church music. In addition to the parish choir and the children's and youth choir, there are various instrumentalists who are mainly involved in the church services, and the trombone choir, the "Neustadt-Bläser".

Photos: Kathrin Singer

Laura Jēkabsone is a Latvian composer, arranger, professional singer, music teacher, conductor and artistic director of the vocal group Latvian Voices. ​​ She got her Bachelor's degree in Music Education at Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music and gained experience internationally in many vocal workshops and composition competitions. Laura's music has been performed by the a cappella group Latvian Voices, Latvian National Symphonic Orchestra, Liepāja Symphonic Orchestra, State Choir LATVIJA, Riga Cathedral Choir School girls' choir Tiara, The Oxford Choir (UK), Stellenbosch University Choir (SA), Mägi Ensemble (USA), Incantare Coro Femenino (Argentina), Raffles Chorale (Singapore), Landarbaso Abesbatza (Spain), a cappella groups The Real Group (Sweden), Sjaella, Amarcord (Germany), etc.

From 2006 to 2022, Laura worked as an assistant conductor in one of the best Latvian amateur choirs - "Maska". Choir "Maska" has released her first author CD titled "Ziema" (Winter) as well as many significant compositions dedicated to them, which have now become popular in the repertoires of choirs all over the world.

Anders Jalkéus, Sweden, b. 1962, was a singer and one of the founding members of the world famous vocal group The Real Group for more than 30 years. He started out at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm and has two master degrees, one in Music Education, one in Classical Solo Singing and one post graduate diploma in Vocal Group Singing. He has studied choir conducting with professor Eric Ericson, and he is a frequent workshop leader, popular lecturer and well renowned adjudicator in competitions all around the world.

Anders Jalkéus has written songs and arrangements for The Real Group and he has performed with The Real Group in more then 40 countries and recorded more than 30 albums, a couple of which he has also produced.Thru the years he has collaborated with groups and artist such as Bobby McFerrin, Barbara Hendricks, Gene Puerling, Take 6, Rajaton, and MPact. Anders Jalkéus retired from active singing with The Real Group in 2015 and had the position as headmaster of a school for music and culture in Stockholm 2015-2018.

Since January 2020 he is a highly appreciated choir conductor and church musician in Norrtälje, north of Stockholm.

Donka Miteva studied Choral conducting at the State Academy of Music in Sofia and orchestral conducting at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf. She was awarded scholarships from the Richard Wagner Society, the Accademia Musicale Chigiana, the European Academy Montepulciano, and the Noel Minet Foundation. Donka Miteva worked with numerous ensembles in Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Portugal, South Africa, China a.o. From 2007 until 2011 she was a conductor and choir director at the State Opera in Münster, Germany. She was awarded the 1st Prize at the 7th Int. Competition for young conductors in St. Petersburg, best conductor at the 35th Int. Choir Competition in Varna in 2014, the 3rd Prize at the 5th Int. Conducting Competition Jeunesse Musicales in Bucharest a.o. Donka Miteva has worked as Artistic Director and conductor of Collegium Musicum Berlin since 2011 and as instructor of conducting at the University of Arts in Berlin since 2019.