In spring, two special twinning concerts with musicians from Bolzano delighted the citizens of Erlangen and created new connections. Concerts are already being planned for next year in the South Tyrolean twin city.

Spring concert by the plucked string orchestras from Tennenlohe and Bolzano

In April, 15 musicians from the Orchestra Mandolinistica "Euterpe" mandolin orchestra from Bolzano traveled to Erlangen for a weekend to give a joint concert with the Tennenlohe plucked string orchestra on 26 April. Rehearsals were held on the day of arrival and a tour of the twin town took place in the morning before the performance. The highlight of the visit was the joint concert on Saturday evening, in which the respective plucked string orchestras first played separate pieces and allowed the audience to hear the different styles of the orchestras. Finally, the orchestras played together with the pieces by Sartori "Hommage to Trento" and "Song of Japanese Autumn" by Kuwahara. The audience was enthusiastic and two encores were performed. A return visit to Bolzano is already being planned for next year so that the new contacts can be deepened and the musical exchange can continue.

Photo: Georg Gebhard

Singing unites Vocanta and Singkreis Runkelstein

From May 1 to 4, 47 guests from the Runkelstein singing group from Erlangen's twin city of Bolzano visited the city. A joint concert in the Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche on Friday evening was the highlight of the choir meeting, with over 90 singers taking part.

Compositions from the Renaissance and contemporary pieces by the Erlangen choir Vocanta and predominantly Alpine songs by the South Tyroleans, who performed in various traditional costumes, were performed and fulfilled the motto "Singing unites" in a convincing manner. The Singkreis, conducted by Rupert Ploner, presented an example of how authentic folk music can sound and truly touching. With the joint "Abendlied" by Joseph Rheinberger and "Himmlschlüssl" by Sepp Unterhofer, the two choirs were now united. The singers were rewarded with standing ovations from the large audience.

The social get-together of the singers was not neglected either. Contacts were made during visits to typical Franconian beer cellars, city tours and get-togethers after the concert. The Erlangen singers are already looking forward to a return visit to South Tyrol in May 2026.

Photo: Maik Musall