Psalms in space and time
Celebrate the 16th festival with us
Summer concerts
Opus Vocale & Synagogal Ensemble Berlin
Saturday 13.06.26, 17:00 / Admission 16:00
Kreuzkirche – Königs Wusterhausen
Church square 2, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen
Sunday 14.06.26, 17:00 / Admission 16:00
Rykestraße Synagogue
Rykestraße 53, 10405 Berlin
For the first time, the Louis Lewandowski Festival is dedicated to the world of the Psalms: ancient Tenach texts that have been sung, interpreted and experienced anew for thousands of years – full of emotion, spirituality and artistic power.
We are delighted to invite you for the first time to two summer concerts, which will be organized jointly by the Berlin chamber choir opus vocale and the Synagogal Ensemble Berlin.
Common heritage – diverse voices: Psalms in Jewish and Christian tradition
Psalms are the original language of prayer. They have shaped Judaism and Christianity in equal measure for over two millennia. Although the texts are largely identical, different theological interpretations and tonal traditions have emerged.
This concert program leads through centuries and cultural areas – from the early Baroque of Salomone Rossi to 19th century psalm settings by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy or Louis Lewandowski to contemporaries such as the Italian Angelo Spizzichini or the Estonian composer Cyrillus Kreek.
Admission free / donations welcome
Opus Vocale
has been part of the ambitious Berlin chamber choir scene for over 20 years. Founded in 2002 by its artistic director Volker Hedtfeld, the chamber choir’s repertoire includes a variety of works from all musical eras: from Gesualdo to Sandström, from polyphonic choral music of the Renaissance to contemporary music. Experienced choral singers, some of whom have professional training and experience as soloists, regularly come together for challenging concert projects. opus vocale is primarily dedicated to a cappella literature, but also devotes itself to the great baroque oratorios and regularly works with contemporary composers. opus vocale has successfully presented itself at international competitions and released CDs with works by Jan Janca, Palestrina and Reger.
Synagogal Ensemble Berlin
The Synagogal Ensemble Berlin was founded in 2002 by Regina Yantian. It brings together 8-16 professional singers from opera and concert, including the choir of the Pestalozzistraße Synagogue. The repertoire ranges from baroque synagogue music to 19th century works and modern music. International concert tours have taken the ensemble around the world. It has released five CDs and has hosted the Louis Lewandowski Festival since 2011, which brings together choirs from all over the world under Yantian’s direction.
Winter concerts
December 17-21, 2026
Dear audience,
After the Louis Lewandowski Festival has always focused thematically on specific composers of synagogal music or on a specific geographical or cultural area since its foundation, this year we are turning to a group of prayers from the Tenach, the Jewish Bible, the world of Psalms (Hebrew: T’hilim).
The Psalms are among the oldest and most lively texts in Jewish tradition. They have been spoken, sung and reinterpreted again and again for over two thousand years. They express all the feelings of human existence: Joy and thanksgiving, lament and hope, doubt and trust. They are a mirror of both personal feelings and the collective memory of the Jewish people.
Psalms have been sung or set to music in many different forms over generations – from the time of the temple, whose music we do not know, to traditional cantillation in synagogue services, to compositions that have accompanied us over the last five centuries of synagogue music.
These multi-layered encounters between text and music from different eras will be heard in the festival’s concerts. We will experience the world of the Psalms not only as religious poetry, but also as a source of artistic inspiration. From different musical perspectives, a space is created in which old words resound anew and unfold their timeless power.
You can look forward to guest choirs from America and Israel!
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