The Grand Evening Concert „The Church Musician Franz Liszt“
Date
Hour
Location
Costs
The church musician Franz Liszt
Guidance
Michael Beauty
AT THE LOADING DOCK GATE
Denny Wilke
Cast
Soloists, Collegium Vocale Leipzig
Following the musical evening prayer
This concert evening focuses on Franz Liszt as a church musician – a facet of his work characterised by deep spirituality and sonic expressiveness. Under the direction of Michael Beauty selected church music by Liszt resounds in an impressive fusion of choral and organ sound.
On the historic Ladegast organ, cathedral organist Denny Wilke interprets Liszt's complex organ works with a colourful tonal palette. Soloists of the Collegium Vocale Leipzig add extra musical depth to the evening.
The concert concludes with a musical evening blessing, leaving the evening to fade out in a quiet, contemplative atmosphere.
Denny Wilke He is considered one of the most versatile German organists of his generation and is regularly heard as a soloist and orchestral organist in major concert halls across Europe. He has worked with renowned ensembles such as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, the MDR Symphony Orchestra, the Dresden Philharmonic, and international choirs, and has performed with conductors including Kurt Masur, Riccardo Chailly, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, and Andris Nelsons. As a highly sought-after continuo player and chamber music partner, he also performs on harpsichord, historical fortepiano, and piano, and is a regular presence at numerous festivals.
Since the restoration of the grand Ladegast organ, he has served as organist at Merseburg Cathedral, where he regularly performs concerts. International concert tours, CD recordings, as well as radio and television productions complement his diverse artistic profile.
The Collegium Vocale Leipzig originated from a 1993 Gewandhaus organist Michael Beauty initiated Bach project in the historical spa gardens of Bad Lauchstädt. Since then, the ensemble, in its smaller chamber formation, has dedicated itself primarily to the preservation of Central German Baroque music, particularly the works of Heinrich Schütz, his contemporaries, and Johann Sebastian Bach. Together with the Merseburger Hofmusik and other orchestras, the Collegium organises numerous cantata and oratorio performances, mostly under the direction of Michael Schönheit.
Special highlights include participating in the premiere of Steffen Schleiermacher's According to Mark's Passion 2016, concert tours such as in 2019 to Cuba for the „500 Years of Havana“ celebrations, as well as performances for „30 Years of German Unity“ in the Beethoven Year 2020. During concert breaks in 2021/22, the ensemble was involved in recordings of Georg Friedrich Kauffmann's cantatas and the oratorio Christ by Franz Liszt. In 2025, the Collegium, together with the Merseburger Hofmusik, commemorated the 275th anniversary of J. S. Bach's death with seven performances of the Mass in B minor. Numerous radio and CD recordings document the ensemble's successful work.
