Following the outstanding concert by Aleksey Semenenko and Inna Firsova in December, we are now delighted to announce the next dates for kammerkonzerte.koeln in the Humboldt Hall. And these will be no less fantastic. On 21 February 2026, we welcome the Morgenstern Trio. This outstanding piano trio will perform a special and varied programme with works by Joseph Haydn, Rebecca Clarke and Antonín Dvořák.
In addition, as part of our #henze2026 focus, we will be performing a trio serenade from 1993 by Hans Werner Henze. This great German composer would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year, and under the motto #henze2026, we will be presenting a selection of his impressive chamber music works in each concert in the series.
Catherine Klipfel (piano), Stefan Hempel (violin) and Emanuel Wehse (cello) have been playing together in the Morgenstern Trio for many years, performing chamber music of the highest standard. Emanuel Wehse is already well known to our Cologne audience as the principal cellist of 8CELLI, who have captivated audiences twice in our series.
Our second concert, already scheduled, will take place on 21 March 2026. Lena Kravets and Tobias Kassung will present their new programme, which revolves around the theme of ‘Dream and Tango’ and enchantingly combines dreamy nocturnes and adagios with the exuberant music of metropolitan nightlife. A special feature will be the world premiere of Kassung's new sonata for cello and guitar. This work adds another aspect to the ‘dream’: the very topical dream of peace. In three musical scenes, Kassung's work seduces the listener into the world of Arabic music, full of colour, power, hope and longing.
The audience can therefore look forward to more very special, thrilling concerts in the Humboldt Hall. Those who know us are aware that, as always, we struggle every year to secure funding and planning security. Unfortunately, this is becoming increasingly difficult. Thanks to the support of the Kunststiftung NRW and our private sponsors in the association, we are now able to start again this year. Five concerts are planned for the 2026 season. Whether we will be able to hold all of them is uncertain given the budgetary situation of the city of Cologne. We hope for the best and will keep you informed here.
I would therefore like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to our private friends and patrons. Without their ongoing and reliable support, we would never be able to continue in such uncertain times. Therefore, I would like to make a big request to all those who enthusiastically attend our chamber concerts: please remain loyal to us, enjoy the fantastic concerts in the Humboldt Hall and, above all, please support us by becoming a supporting member of our non-profit association.
Thank you very much,
Yours sincerely Tobias Kassung
(Artistic Director)
