Seven awards at the German Musical Theatre Awards
DIE WEISSE ROSE best musical
At the Deutscher Musical Theater Preis 2025 (German Musical Theatre Awards) at the TIPI am Kanzleramt Berlin, the Festspielhaus Neuschwanstein production received seven awards, including the top category of ‘Best Musical’. The work received a total of nine nominations. Awards included Best Book and Best Director (Vera Bolten), Best Lyrics (Vera Bolten & Alex Melcher), Best Arrangements and Sound Design (Alex Melcher, Marc Tritschler, Sven Raff), Best Choreography (Bart De Clercq) and Best Lighting Design (Andreas Hönig). The musical tells the story of the White Rose resistance group led by Sophie and Hans Scholl and sends a strong message about contemporary German-language musical theatre. The authors: ‘We want to show that there were people who resisted, who did not look away. Who even risked their lives for their convictions. Providing role models is an important aspect for us.’
Find more about the Musical here, and listen to rbb radio's report here.
DIE WEISSE ROSE: World premiere of the musical
The new musical DIE WEISSE ROSE (The White Rose) by Vera Bolten (libretto) and Alex Melcher (music) celebrated its acclaimed premiere at the Festspielhaus Neuschwanstein.
The play about the young resistance fighters Sophie and Hans Scholl, who were executed by the Nazi regime in 1943, deeply moved not only the audience. The press was also impressed. The Süddeutsche Zeitung praised the clever use of original texts, which authentically portray the intellect and inner conflict of the young resistance fighters – the characters are ‘exceptionally clear’ and lively. Pitfalls such as trivialisation, kitsch or romanticisation have been skilfully avoided. Authentic quotations from leaflets, letters and diaries of the young resistance fighters make the play historically credible.
The music for a seven-piece band brings all this to life in a congenial and versatile way: melancholic and quiet, then energetic, rocking and loud.
Further performances will follow until the end of July 2025 in Munich and Füssen.
Find out more about the musical here.
Thus sounds "the world of yesterday"
Stephen Houghs Concerto for piano and orchestra
Sir Stephen Hough is an extremely versatile artist. With his Concerto for piano and orchestra, ‘the world of yesterday’, he traces the myth and aura of the city of Vienna at the beginning of the 20th century. The subtitle refers to Stefan Zweig's memoirs of the same name. Hough himself explains in a YouTube video how and why the concerto came about, which he has now also recorded with the Hallé Orchestra. You can find out more about Stephen Hough here.