New Impulses for Early Music: Concerto Köln and HfMT Cologne Cooperate

Concerto Köln and the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Cologne (HfMT Cologne) are embarking on a new cooperation. The partnership was officially sealed on September 15, 2025, with a signing by Prof. Tilmann Claus (Rector of the University) and Stefan Gawlick (Managing Director of Concerto Köln). The aim is to strengthen the connection between artistic practice, musicology, and education. This collaboration is expected to bring fresh impulses to the field of historically informed performance.

The initiative was launched by Hannah Freienstein, Artistic Director of Concerto Köln, Prof. Leonard Schelb, Head of the Institute for Early Music at HfMT Cologne, and Dr. Kai Hinrich Müller, musicologist at the university, who has already collaborated extensively with Concerto Köln.

Planned activities include workshops and project days with musicians from Concerto Köln. Students will gain insights into rehearsal processes, while research projects will also be integrated into the cooperation. Among these is the support of Concerto Köln’s anniversary project #WeCelebrate.

In the coming season, Concerto Köln will also celebrate its 40th anniversary.

To mark the beginning of its 40th season, Concerto Köln is launching #WeCelebrate, a ten-year project. Each year, the focus will be on composers, performers, and other historically significant figures of the Baroque era. The anniversary season opens with Handel’s Flavio at the Cologne Philharmonie on October 28 and at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam on November 8. Following this, #WeCelebrate will spotlight the Italian Baroque master Alessandro Scarlatti with several concerts in the Cologne region.