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Hellas!

Looking back and yet looking forward: from May 18-29, 2023, the Göttingen International Handel Festival will be focusing on Greek antiquity under the title Hellas! George Frideric Handel tapped into the infinite wealth of mythology for his operas and oratorios. No one could be better suited for today's rendition than the internationally renowned Handel connoisseur and seasoned opera expert George Petrou, from whom we can expect special musical accents again this year as our Artistic Director. Together with Managing Director Jochen Schäfsmeier, he has created an outstanding Festival program, which you can find on this website. We look forward to welcoming you to as many concerts as possible. Join the ancient heroines and heroes on their journeys!

Festival magazine 2023

Tickets

The Festival will open with the oratorio Hercules (HWV 60) on May 18 in St. Johannis Church. This will be followed on May 19 at the Deutsches Theater by the premiere of our Festival opera Semele (HWV 58), the first staged performance of an oratorio in the history of the Göttingen International Handel Festival. The Athens Chamber Choir, a brilliant young ensemble from the Greek capital, could be secured for Handel's magnificent choruses.

A striking combination of text and music can be experienced with Georg Anton Benda's melodrama Medea on May 25 at the Freie Waldorfschule Göttingen. And then, on May 29, the wonderful Jeanine De Bique and Concerto Köln will whisk you away to a glittering gala world. The soprano's uniquely glamorous voice breathes a whole new life into the bold female opera characters.

With new venues, special programs and the popular formats Café George and the Lunch Concert, Hellas! can be experienced far beyond Göttingen in the region as well. We are eagerly awaiting the göttingen händel competition, which this year will once again feature the prize of our Händel-Gesellschaft.

Informations of the programm and ticket sales can be found on our program page.

Have fun scrolling!