The 2010 Göttingen International Handel Festival came to an end on Tuesday, 25 May, posting record attendance figures. More than 22,000 guests, including large numbers of lovers of Baroque music from far afield, attended a total of 96 events held in Göttingen and the surrounding region of southern Lower Saxony, in the Festival’s 90th birthday year. This represents a ticket take-up amounting to approximately 90% across all events. Some 3,000 people enjoyed the big-screen showing of the opera followed by a Baroque firework display.

Under the thematic heading ‘Handel & Hanover’, a many-faceted programme spanning a period of twelve days from 14 – 25 May traced Handel’s period of residence in Hanover-Herrenhausen 300 years ago and the composer’s reception in Germany to this day. The Festival’s opera production, sold out for all of its six performances, remained a strong and proven magnet for audiences.

Standing alongside Tamerlano at the centre of Festival attention this year was the world’s first modern-day performance of Messiah in the arrangement by Johann Adam Hiller. Like the Tamerlano premiere, this concert was broadcast live from Göttingen on NDR radio. Tickets for fresh event formats such as ‘Handel Jazz’ and ‘Handel 4 Kids!’, the programme of events for children and young people, were particularly sought-after this year and sold out quickly.

Grand opening festivities and a super-sized café successfully launched the Festspiele, placing them firmly in the centre of city life for the Festival’s duration.

The Festival received a strong response from the media. Numerous journalists reported directly from Göttingen for print, radio, internet and TV outlets at home and abroad. Press representatives from the English-speaking world (e.g. from Great Britain, the USA and Australia) were in particular evidence. The percentage of tickets sold via the internet was around 10 %.

For those who were unable to come to Göttingen for this year’s Festival, there is a further opportunity to hear the Gala Concert under the baton of Nicholas McGegan at the end of July, 2010. The Göttingen International Handel Festival is guest of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival with performances on 29 July at the Meldorfer Dom, and on 30 July at the St. Johannis church in Lüneburg. On 31 July the Göttingen musicians will be making a further guest appearance at the Dresden Frauenkirche.

Next year’s International Handel Festival takes place from 3 - 14 June, 2011, again over the Whitsun period. After the 2011 Festival, Artistic Director Nicholas McGegan will be passing the baton to his successor, Laurence Cummings.