Ceremonial inauguration of the organ at the Weimar Music High School this weekend!

Ceremonial inauguration of the organ at the Weimar Music High School this weekend!

A very special festival weekend will be celebrated in Weimar on November 1st and 2nd, 2025: the inauguration of the new organ in the Schloss Belvedere music high school. Musical delicacies and exciting tours await visitors. A real feast for the ears is in store, as the new organ, which has an impressive 22 registers, was installed in the concert hall over the summer and promises to enrich the school's musical life in the long term. The organ was donated by Brigitte Seebacher, widow of the former Chancellor Willy Brandt.

The festival weekend will be under the patronage of Thuringia's Prime Minister Mario Voigt. The organ will be officially inaugurated at a ceremony on November 1st at 4 p.m., followed by a concert at 7 p.m. with selected works by Robert Schumann and Johann Sebastian Bach. Short organ concerts for children as well as an organ soirée with Professor Martin Sturm, who designed the disposition of the organ, are planned for November 2nd. These events are intended not only to offer young musicians the opportunity to show their talent, but also to promote interest in organ culture.

Insights into organ technology

The new organ consists of 1,586 pipes - an impressive construction that combines metal, wooden and reed pipes. With a mobile console that can be flexibly placed in the hall, the organ enables students to learn different construction and playing styles from the Baroque to the present. In addition to the new organ, three other restored organs from 1877, 1900 and 1968 are also available to students. This diversity offers an extraordinary opportunity to gain deeper insights into the long tradition of organ building and to experience the fascinating development over the centuries.

Particularly pleasing is the planned organ tour with master organ builder Boris Mettler, which will not only introduce participants to the technical details, but also convey the history and significance of organ building. The UNESCO entry “Organ Building and Organ Music” in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity underlines the importance of this art form in Germany, which has shaped a history of over 1,250 years and in which countless generations of organ builders and musicians came together Waldkircher Orgelstiftung.

The importance of organ culture

The importance of organ culture is also underlined by the numerous organ building companies in Germany, which ensure the preservation and further development of this cultural heritage. Around 400 companies with around 2,000 employees have the task of preserving the unique German organ tradition Waldkircher Orgelstiftung. Support from the state plays a central role here, because environmental influences and social changes also have an impact on organ culture. It is therefore important to invest in the future so that this art is not forgotten.

In Weimar and especially at the Schloss Belvedere music high school, the new organ is laying an important foundation stone that will inspire the next generations of musicians. Promoting contact with historical and contemporary organ music will not only bring joy to young people, but will also make a valuable contribution to the preservation of this cultural heritage.