With music, dance and a warm welcome, the 3^rd Internationales Chorfest Magdeburg officially opened on Wednesday evening. Choirs, guests and music enthusiasts gathered in the historic Johanniskirche to celebrate the start of several days filled with competitions, concerts and international encounters.

This year, Magdeburg welcomes 51 choirs from six countries. Under the motto “Fühlend verbunden – Sing with Emotion,” singers come together in competitions and workshops as well as at numerous Friendship Concerts throughout the city and the surrounding region.

The Opening Concert already showed just how vibrant the connection between an international festival and its host city can be. The Kinder- und Jugendchor Magdeburg, conducted by Astrid Schubert, welcomed the guests with music before the Bharatanatyam ensemble Abhaya added another cultural dimension with South Indian dance, singing and percussion. Norwegian choir Kammerkoret Viva, conducted by Trina Bass Coleman, brought the musical program to a close.

Magdeburg’s Mayor Simone Borris also welcomed the international guests. In her address, she highlighted the city’s rich musical tradition and, in particular, the festival’s spirit of connection and exchange. The Chorfest extends far beyond traditional concert stages: Schools, the City Hall, Gesellschaftshaus, Hyparschale and other venues will all become part of the program over the coming days. The Friendship Concerts in particular will bring local and international choirs together.

INTERKULTUR Vice President Stefan Bohländer welcomed the participants on behalf of INTERKULTUR and its President Günter Titsch and thanked the partners who have joined forces to make the festival possible: the Saxony-Anhalt Choir Association, the state capital Magdeburg and the state of Saxony-Anhalt. His wish for the days ahead: successful competitions, emotional concert experiences and, above all, encounters that reach across national borders.

The Opening Concert may have come to an end, but the Chorfest itself has only just begun. Over the coming days, Magdeburg will become a stage for choral music, new friendships and many shared moments – all in the spirit of “Sing with Emotion.”

Int. Chorfest Magdeburg 2026