zamus: early music festival

From May 21 to 31, 2025, the zamus: early music festival will transform Cologne into a stage for historical music that is open to contemporary influences. Under the motto “Ecstasy and Contemplation,” around 30 concerts and events invite audiences to experience the multifaceted connection between these two states of mind through music. The baroque expertise of artistic director Midori Seiler sets new accents – a musician who combines historical performance practice with innovative concepts.

The Marsyas Baroque ensemble opens the festival with a subtle interpretation of “La vida es sueño,” blending baroque music with the expressive forms of flamenco. Equally impressive: the Duo Pleyel with Beethoven's Sixth Symphony in a moving piano arrangement. These performances provide space for both deep reflection and ecstatic flights of fancy. Other highlights include an interactive “early music marathon” that brings historical music to life for families, and the symposium “Creating New Spaces,” which critically examines colonial aspects of early music. The closing performance “Botanica” combines environmental activism with Baroque multimedia, thus bridging the gap between history and the present.

The zamus: early music festival 2025 invites you to explore boundaries, look deeper, and discover new sounds—an unforgettable experience between the past and the present.