Summer 2027

From two to three: Starting in 2027, the summer in Grafenegg will be divided into three parts: The opening is dedicated to the Tonkünstler, who, as the resident orchestra, will exclusively perform the «Summer Sounds» from June 17 to July 17. 

Next, from July 24 through August 6, the new festival format «Heart of Europe» - created by Grafenegg in cooperation with the European Union Youth Orchestra—will bring together the best young musicians from the 27 EU member states in Grafenegg, offering insights into orchestral work, celebrations, discussions, and a great love of music. 

On August 13, the third part of the summer season kicks off: the Grafenegg Festival. Through September 5, the most prominent international orchestras and stars of the classical music world will perform in Grafenegg. The summer will be complemented by a major exhibition dedicated to the 2027 Composer in Residence: Steve Reich.

Long-standing traditions form the artistic heart of Grafenegg. In 2007, the Tonkünstler Orchestra of Lower Austria took to the stage at the Wolkenturm for the first time: the Summer Night Gala was born, and in 2027 too, the series of heavenly sounds will commence with this popular concert marking the opening of the summer season. Two stars of the opera world – Parisian Benjamin Bernheim and Ludovic Tézier, who has made Vienna his home – will share the stage with the Norwegian virtuoso violinist Vilde Frang, with Tonkünstler’s principal conductor Fabien Gabel at the podium. Speaking of the Tonkünstler: the resident orchestra, which year after year captivates audiences with its stylistic versatility, will perform exclusively during the first part of the summer: the «Summer Sounds“ will become a Tonkünstler festival, featuring a family day dedicated to rhythm, «Tastenzauber»  with Alexander Malofeev and the Finnish conductor Eva Ollikainen, «The Four Seasons»  across the centuries and continents with the fantastic violinist Ray Chen, and «A Night at the Oscars», hosted by film and television star Manuel Rubey with film specialist Frank Strobel conducting.

Grafenegg has not only been a centre for music for decades; exhibitions have also been held here time and again. For example, since 2007, individual display cases have been dedicated to all Composers as a permanent exhibition in the castle’s library. However, in 2027, a Composer in Residence will be honoured for the first time with a major exhibition curated by Christoph Becher in the Foyer Reitschule: Steve Reich. «It’s All A Phase»  will be officially opened on 19 June and showcase the work of this pioneer of American music – who turned 90 on 3 October 2026 – in all its diversity.

Grafenegg lies in the «Heart of Europe». And it is precisely there that, in 2027, the new festival of the same name – organised in collaboration with the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) – will take centre stage as the highlight of the summer season in its inaugural year. Here, too, long-standing traditions play a major role: the partnership with the EUYO dates back to 2009, and the EU Youth Orchestra has been based in Grafenegg since 2023. Over three weekends in the geographical heart of Europe, these young top musicians from the 27 EU member states will showcase what unites Europe: through concerts, lectures, panel discussions and a wide-ranging programme of events during the week. From midday until the evening, the celebrations begin with «Europe in the Park», offering a glimpse into the «Schlagwerkstatt» led by former EUYO member Colin Currie; «Europe’s Heroes?»  take centre stage, «Thus Spoke Zarathustra»  in a new version for a choreographed orchestra including a glimpse behind the scenes of rehearsals, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with Daniil Trifnonov, and as the grand finale: Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony conducted by EUYO Chief Conductor Iván Fischer.

The heart of music beats in Grafenegg: from 13 August to 5 September 2027, international guest orchestras and the stars of the classical music world will shape the height of summer over four long weekends – with orchestral concerts, concertante opera, recitals and chamber music. 

The Grafenegg Festival Orchestra will make its debut as a new top-class ensemble, whilst Steve Reich will shape the festival as Composer in Residence. The festival opening and the first festival weekend will revolve around the theme «Home / Strangers/ Neighbours», centred on a guest performance by the Czech Philharmonic – featuring semi-concertante performances of Antonín Dvořák“s «Rusalka»  and Bedřich Smetana’s Bohemian cycle «Má vlast». 

The line-up of international guest orchestras includes: the London Symphony Orchestra with Susanna Mälkki and Sir Antonio Pappano, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra with its principal conductor Klaus Mäkelä, the Orchestre National de Paris with its new principal conductor Philippe Jordan, the Vienna Philharmonic with Andris Nelsons, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande with Tugan Sokhiev, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra with Daniel Barenboim, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra with Cristian Macelaru, and The Constellation Orchestra with Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Added to this are the new Grafenegg Festival Orchestra and, of course, the Tonkünstler Orchestra of Lower Austria as a permanent fixture. The list of soloists performing in recitals, chamber concerts and with the orchestra is a long one; in 2027, it will include Martha Argerich, Festival President Rudolf Buchbinder, Isabelle Faust, Mao Fujita, Augustin Hadelich, Julia Hagen, Denis Kozhukhin, Alexandre Kantorow, Yunchan Lim, Bruce Liu, Kian Soltani and Daniil Trifonov.

Grand choral and orchestral works, concertante operas, recitals, chamber concerts, the «Ink Still Wet»  composer-conductor workshop, atmospheric late-night sessions: Grafenegg has long since become a total work of art in its own right.

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