The French composer and conductor Pierre Boulez lived for sixty years across the border in Baden-Baden and is buried there. Next year is the centenary of his birth. The town of Baden-Baden is planning its biggest event since the 100 years War. Here’s a run-down, released today:

100 YEARS OF PIERRE BOULEZ – BADEN-BADEN CELEBRATES 2025

JANUARY

“Centennial Ring”

Opera Cinema in the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden

MARCH

“The Opera House as a School of Life”
MINT lessons on Pierre Boulez at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden

naming of the “Pierre Boulez Square”
The Festspielhaus forecourt gets a new name

birthday party for Pierre Boulez
Large stage program in the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden

Würth Philharmonic Orchestra, students, contemporary witnesses
Wed., March 26, 2025, 7:30 pm
Admission free, tickets while stocks last
Webshop: www.festspielhaus.de , Tel. 07221 / 3013 101

Südwestrundfunk
New film documentary about Pierre Boulez
“Music lesson” and theme evening on Pierre Boulez at SWR2

March 2025

Interactive city walk “Finding Pierre”

City walk with 6 stations – 6 letters BOULEZ are provided with QR codes and placed in front of various institutions in Baden-Baden between the Festival Hall and the City Museum. Behind each QR code is a video about a different facet of Boulez’s life and work (examples: “Boulez and literature”, “Boulez and fine art”, “Boulez as a conductor” etc.). The content is designed by students.

DJ classroom
music education project of the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden for students from grade 7 onwards

MAY

Photo exhibition Simone Demandt Pierre Boulez
Stadtmuseum Baden-Baden, from May 30, 2025

Baden-Baden Pentecost Festival PRESENCE 2025
SWR Symphony Orchestra

London Symphony Orchestra

Ensemble Intercontemporain, Paris

Ensemble Recherche Les Siecles, Paris

Students from the Karlsruhe and Freiburg music academies

Pierre-Laurent Aimard (concert and master class)

International Festival in Honor of Pierre Boulez

Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Theater Baden-Baden, Kurhaus Baden-Baden

31.5.- 9.6.2025 Program and tickets: www.festspielhaus.de

bell concert
Composition: Alexander Grebtchenko, Freiburg
Commissioned by the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden

city center of Baden-Baden

31.5.-9.6., daily at 3 pm

Pierre Boulez and Paul Klee

Workshop of the Children’s Art Workshop of the Museum Frieder Burda

30.5.-8.6.2025 (in planning)

Toccarion
The Incredible Children’s Music World of the Sigmund Kiener Foundation
Workshop on the topic of “Pierre Boulez” (in planning)

JUNE

Karlsruhe University of Music
“New Perspectives of Live Electronics”

Pierre Boulez is closely associated with the concept of live electronics, not only through his works, but also through the founding of the IRCAM (Institut de recherche et coordination acoustique/musique), which he played a key role in promoting. Instrumental sounds or vocals are manipulated in real time or enhanced with electronic sounds. This concert will feature works that explore the possibilities of live electronics in various ways. Before the concert, experts will discuss various approaches and aesthetics of the development and performance practice of works with live electronics.

Symposium and Concert 5.6.2025

Final concert and master class Pierre-Laurent Aimard

2.6.2025: Public master class at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden

June 4, 2025: Closing concert, Rihm Forum of the Karlsruhe University of Music

Theater Baden-Baden
program in planning

JULY

Closing concert of the IM.PULS mediation project

Students from Baden-Baden, Freiburg, Rastatt and Karlsruhe

compose their own works in relation to Pierre Boulez. They are supported by composers and Ensemble Recherche.

Supported by the T. v. Zastrow Foundation
Final concert: July 24, 2025, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden

Further information: www.festspielhaus.de