Opening of "Musica Sacra International" virtual

Start at Whitsun, concert weekends from May to October 2021.

MODfestivals once again responds to the development of the Corona pandemic. This year's "Musica Sacra International" festival is themed "Our Earth" and combines event live on site and online. Although it will open on the Whitsun weekend, it will not last until Whit Monday as usual, but will be equalised in time and will additionally take place on three weekends in July, August and October with evening concerts, ateliers, lectures, discussions and prayers at various locations.

Online Festival

The hub for all digital offerings is the virtual festival site, which was developed especially for this year's festival. The website will be published parallel to the opening of the festival on 21 May and provides an intuitive link to the events on site via images of the central festival locations in Marktoberdorf.

In the central area "Programme and Events" - symbolised by the Richard Wengenmeier Hall of the Bavarian Music Academy Marktoberdorf - one can find all concerts and events, which can be seen as videos: Livestreams, recordings and archive material from the beginnings of the festival, studios of the ensembles, discussion rounds with friends and much more. Detailed programmes for the respective concerts provide information about the programme and make it possible to read the lyrics.

More information about the ensembles can be found behind the image of the Bavarian Music Academy Marktoberdorf - the place where the ensembles will also be on site during the Whitsun Festival. The avenue is emblematic of the festival theme "Our Earth". Here you can engage with the theme through texts and live discussion rounds with theologians and scientists from different religious perspectives. The virtual "Café Musica" with its video conferencing and chat function serves as a meeting place for spontaneous exchange and thus creates a festival atmosphere.

The programme

"Musica Sacra International" will begin on Friday, 21 May 2021, at 8.00 pm with the opening concert, which will take place simultaneously in three locations around the world. Five ensembles from different religious traditions will perform this special concert, three on site at the Bavarian Music Academy Marktoberdorf, one in Buenos Aires, Argentina and one in Beirut, Lebanon.

On Saturday, 22.5.2021, there will be ateliers from 2.00 p.m. as well as an introduction to the festival theme "Our Earth" by the two artistic directors Dr. Verena Grüter and Bettina Strübel. At 7 p.m. Jeroen Schrijner will be in conversation with Volker Hempfling and Thomas Rabbow, both of whom have been closely associated with "Musica Sacra International" since its foundation in 1992.

This will be followed at 8.00 pm by a concert that will use archive recordings to capture musical moments from past editions. Afterwards, the virtual "Café Musica" offers space to exchange memories and meet familiar faces again. MODfestivals cordially invites you to visit the online events and our virtual festival site! The digital offerings of "Musica Sacra International" are supported by the funding programme "KULTUR.GEMEINSCHAFTEN", which is financed by the federal government through the future and rescue programme "NEUSTART KULTUR" and by the federal states through the Kulturstiftung der Länder.

Information on the programme, as well as access to all livestreams, concerts, ateliers, and talks on the website "www.musica-sacra-international.org".

Picture: Renkei Hashimoto