On Sunday, September 14, 2025, the sixth edition of the Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival came to an end. Eleven festival days full of baroque splendor once again attracted several thousand visitors from all over the world to Bayreuth. With the rediscovery of Francesco Cavalli’s Pompeo Magno, the festival, under the artistic direction of Max Emanuel Cencic, presented a production acclaimed equally by the public and critics. Cavalli specialist Leonardo García Alarcón, together with his Cappella Mediterranea as resident orchestra, held the musical direction. Among the vocal cast shone Max Emanuel Cencic (Pompeo Magno), Mariana Flores (Issicratea), Nicolò Balducci (Sesto), Sophie Junker (Giulia), Valer Sabadus (Scipione Servilio), and Dominique Visse (Delfo).
BR Klassik, the official media partner of Bayreuth Baroque, broadcast numerous events live. In addition, many productions are available in the media libraries of Arte Concert and BR Klassik. Mezzo TV will also broadcast the festival in December 2025, followed by Medici.tv from 2026.
Yesterday’s livestream of Pompeo Magno can be rewatched here.
As usual, the next edition of Bayreuth Baroque will take place in the first two weeks of September 2026. At its center will be the rediscovery of an unknown opera by George Frideric Handel. With this, Max Emanuel Cencic continues the successful path from Handel’s Flavio in 2023.
This year’s edition of Bayreuth Baroque included, in addition to the staged opera production with five performances, four gala concerts with international stars at the Margravial Opera House: Julia Lezhneva and Franco Fagioli presented baroque highlights in the concert Duetti ed Arie together with the Orchestre de l’Opéra Royal de Versailles under Stefan Plewniak. Carlo Vistoli, with Cappella Mediterranea, presented a program of Italian 17th-century masters, and Malena Ernman, together with Christina Pluhar and her ensemble L’Arpeggiata, explored nature in music. Marina Viotti set further highlights with the Orchestre de l’Opéra Royal de Versailles, this time under the musical direction of Andrés Gabetta.
Further concerts took place in Bayreuth’s Schlosskirche, including performances by Rémy Brès-Feuillet and Suzanne Jerosme, as well as candlelight concerts in the Ordenskirche St. Georgen with Mariana Flores. Exquisite events in the baroque city of Bayreuth – including gala dinners, brunch, and coffee and dinner concerts with lutenist Monica Pustilnik – combined musical and culinary experiences.
More information about Bayreuth Baroque can be found at: www.bayreuthbaroque.de/
Here is an overview of the upcoming TV broadcasts and streams:
Carlo Vistoli – Recital (Sept. 5, 2025)
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- ARTE (Mediathek): from Sept. 9, 2025
- BR (TV/ARD alpha): Oct. 19, 2025 (9:45 pm)
- Mezzo TV: December 2025
- tv: from mid-2026
Christina Pluhar & Malena Ernman – Terra Mater (Sept. 7, 2025)
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- ARTE (Mediathek): from Sept. 13, 2025
- BR (TV/ARD alpha): Nov. 2, 2025 (9:45 pm)
- Mezzo TV: December 2025
- tv: from mid-2026
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Francesco Cavalli –Pompeo Magno (Sept. 9 & 12, 2025)
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- ARTE (Mediathek): from Sept. 17, 2025
- BR (TV/ARD alpha): Oct. 26, 2025 (9:45 pm)
- Mezzo TV: December 2025
- tv: from mid-2026
Julia Lezhneva & Franco Fagioli –Duetti ed Arie (Sept. 10, 2025)
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- BR (Radio/Online): Sept. 12, 2025 (6:00 pm & 6:05 pm)
- ARTE (Mediathek): from Sept. 16, 2025
Marina Viotti – Recital (Sept. 13, 2025)
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- ARTE (Mediathek): from Sept. 20, 2025
- BR (Radio/Online): Sept. 21, 2025 (1:05 pm & 8:00 pm)
- BR (TV/ARD alpha): Oct. 12, 2025 (9:45 pm)
- Mezzo TV: December 2025
- tv: from mid-2026
Two highly successful staged Bayreuth Baroque productions will guest at renowned European opera houses in the 2025/26 season:
- The festival’s 2023 productionFlavio (opera by George Frideric Handel), Dec. 17–21, 2025, at the Latvian National Opera Riga
- The festival’s 2022 productionAlessandro nell’Indie (opera by Leonardo Vinci), Apr. 10–21, 2026, at Musiktheater an der Wien
Photocredit: Clemens Manser Photography
