20th anniversary FestspielOrchester Göttingen

Baroque music as a calling, Handel as a specialty: the twenty years of the FestspielOrchester Göttingen have been marked by passion, joy in performance, a deep engagement with early music, and countless Baroque highlights that remain unforgettable for Festival audiences. Since its founding in 2006, three devoted specialists have stood at the orchestra’s helm – Nicholas McGegan (until 2011), Laurence Cummings (2012–2021), and George Petrou (since 2022) – each leaving a distinctive artistic mark on both the orchestra and the Festival.

Music is a connecting force, and in addition to its commitment to historically informed performances of the highest caliber, the ensemble has fostered many lasting friendships. Cellist and founding member Phoebe Carrai reflects: "As an orchestra, we have worked very hard at rehearsals and performances, and we socialize just as hard. For me, personally, it became my favourite and most important musical home."

The program George Petrou has selected for this occasion is as diverse and international as the Handel Festival and the FestspielOrchester itself. At the royal court of Versailles, Jean-Philippe Rameau advanced the French operatic tradition, earning for his ballet operas, such as Les Indes Galantes, the same acclaim that Handel enjoyed in London with his Italian operas. Impeccable balance and unadulterated bliss characterize Johann Sebastian Bach’s iconic Air from his Orchestral Suite in D major. And what better way to celebrate this anniversary than with timpani and trumpets in full regal splendour – a dazzling, thunderous fireworks display straight from Handel’s own pen.

And that’s not all: as an encore, members of the FOG invite you to an after-show party on the foyer stages – featuring three short programs that, in very different ways, showcase what unites the musicians: curiosity, a love of playing, and a desire to connect musically with each other and with you, the audience. Whether it’s Baroque dance rhythms from Eastern Europe, Scottish and Irish sounds, or jazzy musical forays, each of the three sets tells its own story of togetherness, of crossing boundaries through music, and of shared musical expression.