The ‘Klassik ohne Grenzen’ open-air summer festival has long since become a fixture in the events calendar of the twin cities of Frankfurt (Oder) and Słubice. Held in the open air and with free admission, the festival offers a total of nine concerts over five weekends from 2 to 29 August.
Festival curator Tomasz Pilarski describes the concept: “Without rigid conventions, but with a picnic blanket in the shade of green trees, we present a musical spectrum ranging from the classical repertoire through film music to crossover formats: ‘Pure Mozart’ meets Bach with jazz influences, whilst musical imagery meets spirited tango.” The programme features Mozart’s most famous opera arias, a new interpretation of Bach centred on the tuba, and romantic musical tales told through the piano and oboe. The programme promises to give you goosebumps with Schumann and Chopin, is guaranteed to get stuck in your head with Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’, and offers eye-opening moments with world music and film themes.
At the children’s concert, Malte Arkona and accordion virtuoso Nico Gutu retell Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale of the nightingale.
The highlight of the sixth edition of the festival is the grand symphonic closing concert by the international festival orchestra, comprising musicians from the Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt and the Gorzów Philharmonic. Under the baton of Chief Music Director Felix Mildenberger, the orchestra bridges the gap between Rachmaninov’s dazzling ‘Paganini Rhapsody’ – performed by pianist Martin Bartlett – and the heroic epics of Hollywood. The monumental scores by John Williams, Hans Zimmer and Alan Silvestri will be powerfully enhanced by the Singakademie Frankfurt (Oder).
Presenters from Antenne Brandenburg will guide the audience through the programme.
With the exception of the closing concert, which cannot be rescheduled at short notice for logistical reasons, there is a bad-weather alternative for all concerts at St. Mary’s Church.
This cultural summer experience was conceived and organised by Messe und Veranstaltungs GmbH. Its managing director, Florian Vogel, emphasises: “This summer festival is a gift to the people of this city and its visitors. A gift that is greatly appreciated and one they would never want to give up. It offers the opportunity to come together, discover new things and share experiences. Without the sponsors, patrons and partners of ‘Klassik ohne Grenzen’, but also without the audience’s willingness to donate, it would not be possible to offer such a high-quality yet free programme. My thanks go to them and to my team, who are now making the festival a reality for the sixth year running.”
Programme at a glance
Sunday, 2 August 2026 | 11.00 a.m. | Anger, Frankfurt (Oder)
‘Pure Mozart’
An opera matinee for a vocal duo and an orchestra
With sparkling lightness, grand emotions and subtle humour, this concert opens the festival. Overtures, arias and duets from Mozart’s famous stage works tell tales of love, mistaken identity, longing and joie de vivre. Two vocalists and an orchestra guide you through his musical theatre – accessible, lively and full of charm.
Zielona Góra Philharmonic Orchestra
Magdalena Stefaniak and Grzegorz Sobczak – vocals
GMD Rafal Kłoczko – Conductor
Saturday, 8 August 2026 | 7.30 p.m. | Plac Bohaterów, Słubice
‘Back to Bach’
When Baroque genius meets modernity!
Johann Sebastian Bach created a universal language that continues to inspire musicians almost four centuries later. With ‘Back to Bach’, tuba player and producer Thomas Leleu reinterprets the Thomaskantor – blending pop, jazz and contemporary sounds. The focus is on the tuba: a lyrical, powerful and surprising instrument. This creates a dialogue between counterpoint, jazz harmonies, pop rhythms and improvisation. “Back to Bach” carries on Bach’s spirit – creatively, freely and colourfully.
Thomas Leleu – Tuba
Kevin Reveyrand – Bass
Yoann Schmidt – Drums
Laurent Elba – Piano
Sunday, 9 August 2026 | 11.00 a.m. | Lennépark, Frankfurt (Oder)
‘Sound Stories’
Of ancient gods, grand emotions and the magic of transformation
This programme invites you to a gripping musical journey of the imagination that enchants even without any prior knowledge. At its heart lies the play on transformation: listen as Benjamin Britten brings ancient myths to life with a single oboe, whilst Ludwig van Beethoven masterfully turns the theme on its head on the piano in captivating variations. Flanked by Robert Schumann’s deep, romantic sentiments and the elegant lightness of Camille Saint-Saëns, the programme unfolds as a tapestry of vivid imagery, stark contrasts and powerful emotions.
Juri Vallentin – oboe
Kiveli Dörken – piano
Saturday, 15 August 2026 | 4.00 p.m. | Lennépark, Frankfurt (Oder)
‘Family Concert’
Accordion – The Emperor’s Nightingale (Hans Christian Andersen)
An emperor, a palace and the instrument of the year 2026: the accordion!
In Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale, a nightingale sings so beautifully that even the emperor nearly slips off his throne with joy. But when a sparkling toy nightingale suddenly appears at court, the real singer is forgotten. A huge mistake! For she is far from having sung her last trill – and in the end, she becomes the unexpected saviour.
An interactive musical journey full of humour, fairy-tale magic and virtuoso sounds with the ‘Emperor of the Accordion’, Nico Gutu, and the cheerfully chirping narrator, Malte Arkona. After the performance, all listeners, young and old, are warmly invited to get to know the accordion better and even have a go at playing it themselves.
Nico Gutu – accordion
Malte Arkona – narrator
Saturday, 15 August 2026 | 6.00 p.m. | Lennépark, Frankfurt (Oder)
‘Schumann & Chopin’
An evening of piano music for young and old
In the glow of the late afternoon sun, nature and music merge to create an experience for the whole family. Robert Schumann’s “Scenes from Childhood” playfully evoke memories, whilst Frédéric Chopin’s Nocturnes – including the famous piece in C-sharp minor from the film “The Pianist” – are sure to give you goosebumps. A balmy summer breeze and gentle piano melodies promise an atmospheric evening under the open sky.
Maciej Smoląg – piano
Sunday, 16 August 2026 | 11:00 a.m. | Lennépark, Frankfurt (Oder)
“Guaranteed to get stuck in your head!”
From Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” to world-famous tangos – melodies you simply have to love
This programme is a rousing live playlist of the world’s greatest hits. The first half sparkles with immortal melodies from the classical and operatic worlds: from Bach’s famous aria to Vivaldi’s stormy ‘Winter’ and Verdi’s exhilarating stage music, you’re guaranteed to recognise them all. Afterwards, the mood shifts to pure energy: with Joplin’s ragtime, Gershwin’s swing and fiery tangos, the charming flair of a sophisticated dance revue from the ‘Golden Twenties’ unfolds. A lively journey full of rhythm and high spirits.
ReedConnectionTrio:
Michał Mogiła – oboe
Jarosław Podsiadlik – clarinet
Rafał Dołęga – bassoon
Saturday, 22 August 2026 | 7.30 p.m. | Plac Bohaterów, Słubice
‘Painted with Sound’
A collage of world music sounds and film themes, with a dash of jazz improvisation
Marcin Wyrostek became known to a wider audience through his appearance on a Polish talent show in 2009, though many years before that he was already regarded by fellow musicians as a brilliant accordionist and composer. His music, a collage of ethnic and classical motifs, captivates with its emotional intensity and passion, whilst his playing is characterised by extraordinary virtuosity.
Marcin Wyrostek – Accordion & Coloriage
Sunday, 23 August 2026 | 11.00 a.m. | Gertraudenpark, Frankfurt (Oder)
“Grand cinema for nine instruments”
A colourful dialogue between film music flair and Bohemian rhythms
This concert takes the audience on a journey through the colourful soundscapes of the 20th century. Bohuslav Martinů’s Nonet No. 2 is regarded as his legacy in chamber music. Composed after years of exile in Switzerland, it reflects, in a multifaceted way, his longing for his Czech homeland. Wind and string instruments come together to create music full of movement, cheerfulness and memory. Nino Rota’s Nonetto reveals the composer of famous film scores from his chamber music perspective – melodic, charming, playful and full of Italian lightness. The result is a morning that demonstrates: classical music can tell stories, dance, smile and surprise.
Musicians from the Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt:
Hanna Rzepka – flute, Takahiro Watanabe – oboe, Annette Hirsch – clarinet, Selma Sofie Westermann – bassoon, Anastazja Lysenko – violin, Marina Diaz – horn, Kim Esther Roloff – viola, Konstanze Weiche – cello, Luis Gómez Santos – double bass
Sunday, 29 August 2026 | 7.30 p.m. | Anger, Frankfurt (Oder)
Closing concert
Superheroes: From Paganini & Rachmaninov to Superman & Captain America
As the grand finale of ‘Classical Music Without Borders’, this concert brings together virtuoso tradition with modern myth. The international festival orchestra, comprising musicians from the Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt and the Gorzów Philharmonic, conducted by Felix Mildenberger, bridges the gap between Rachmaninov’s brilliant ‘Paganini Rhapsody’ – masterfully interpreted by pianist Martin Bartlett – to the heroic epics of Hollywood.
When the Singakademie Frankfurt (Oder) joins in to reinforce the monumental scores by John Williams, Hans Zimmer and Alan Silvestri, classical music and film music merge into a spectacular experience. From Superman to Captain America: experience orchestral brilliance and epic emotions under the open sky.
GMD Felix Mildenberger – Conductor
Martin Bartlett – Piano
Brandenburg State Orchestra, Frankfurt
Gorzów Philharmonic Orchestra
Singakademie Frankfurt (Oder)
Organiser: Messe und Veranstaltungs GmbH, Frankfurt Marketing, Tourism, Events & City Management
Partners: Brandenburg State Orchestra, Gorzów Philharmonic, Zielona Góra Philharmonic, Słubice Cultural Centre, Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg
Sponsors: Ministry of Science, Research and Culture of the State of Brandenburg, City of Frankfurt (Oder), ‘Pro Europa Viadrina’ Euroregion, funded by the Interreg VI A programme, IMD Labor Oderland, Sparkasse Oder-Spree, Stadtwerke Frankfurt (Oder) GmbH, Wohnungswirtschaft Frankfurt (Oder) GmbH, Hanse Club Wirtschaft für Frankfurt (Oder) und Eisenhüttenstadt e.V.