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New concert organ at Belvedere Palace: Ceremony on November 1st!
On November 1, 2025, the new concert organ at the Schloss Belvedere Music High School in Weimar will be ceremoniously handed over.
New concert organ at Belvedere Palace: Ceremony on November 1st!
The Schloss Belvedere music high school recently set the course for a sonorous new chapter: a new three-manual concert organ was completed, which will enrich the musical landscape in Weimar in the future. How bildung.thueringen.de reported, the ceremonial handover will take place on November 1, 2025, which will welcome prominent guests, including Thuringia's Minister for Education, Science and Culture, Christian Tischner.
The organ, made by the Czech organ building company Dlabal & Mettler, has 22 sounding registers and an impressive 1,586 pipes. A special highlight is the modern control technology, which includes a mobile gaming table and thus supports both innovative and traditional ways of playing. This new instrument will not only be used as a soloist, but also as part of an expanded concert offering, as a part of the “organ cosmos” that brings students and teachers alike together.
Variety of sounds for young musicians
Martin Sturm, who teaches organ to five students at the high school, was significantly involved in the conception of the new organ. His goal is to create an instrument that appeals to young people and encourages them to experiment. Particular attention was paid to the acoustic suitability of the concert hall, which offers unique acoustics thanks to its concrete columns and a wide glass door. Master organ builder Boris Mettler emphasizes that the intonation of the organ under these circumstances was an exciting challenge.
Rector Gerold Herzog wants the organ not only to be available to the five major students, but also to include the entire school community. The new concert organ will also be used in various concerts with the high school choir and orchestra, opening up numerous new possibilities for musical performance.
Financing and restoration
The financing of the new building and the restoration of two historic organs was provided by Dr. Brigitte Seebacher, who wanted to pay tribute to her late husband, Hilmar Kopper. In addition to the new concert organ, the existing organ in the hall will also be repositioned, which will further expand the musical possibilities at the music high school.
The music high school not only has the new organ, but also three other high-quality instruments: a two-manual Walcker organ from 1877, a three-manual organ harmonium by Kotykiewicz, which dates back to around 1900, and a two-manual Ott organ from 1968. These instruments offer the students a variety of sound options and promote creative music-making at school.
The new organ building will be properly celebrated with a festival weekend on November 1st and 2nd, 2025. Under the patronage of Prime Minister Mario Voigt, guests can look forward to a varied program that underlines the importance of the new organ for musical education and cultural life in Weimar. MDR highlights how this initiative expands musical offerings in the region and strengthens cultural identity.
As you can see, Weimar is on the verge of a musical new beginning: the new organ will not only enrich the sound, but will also inspire young talent and lay the foundation for diverse musical experiences. HMTM shows that organ building is more than just technology; it is a creative process that can bring generations of musicians and listeners together.