Schumann Festivals in Zwickau

The history of Zwickau Schumann Festivals dates long back into the 19th century: The first music festival in honor of the composer was held with the personal contribution of Robert and Clara Schumann in summer of 1847. It was supposed to be a charity concert “zum Besten der Nothleidenden im Obergebirge”, but in fact beyond that it became a true folk festival in honor of Schumann, in which he conducts his Symphony in C major and Clara Schumann performed the soloists part in his Piano Concerto in Zwickau Gewandhaus. An open air concert along the river Mulde with various bands and choirs from Zwickau and surrounding rounded off the festival program.

The composer did not experience the second Schumann festival anymore; it was organized in 1860 on occasion of his 50thanniversary. The 20th century however offered a lot of festivities in honor of Schumann, in his home town, as for example in 1901 with the inauguration of the Schumann monument at Hauptmarkt, 1910 with a large memorial exhibition, which formed the base for the later Schumann Museum, in 1935 in connection with the 800 years jubilee of the city (since it failed in 1918 due to the war), in 1956 on occasion of the 100th anniversary with the opening of the Robert Schumann House as a national memorial and in 1960 on occasion of his 150th birthday. 

Since then the annual "Schumann-Tage" take place, where in 1963 the international Robert Schumann Competition for piano and vocals was added. Together with the music festival on occasion of Clara Schumann’s 100th anniversary (“Festival Clara”) in 1996, the series “Zwickauer Musiktage – ein Fest für Schumann” was opened, which was since 2006 in memory of Robert Schumann’s 150thanniversary again celebrated as “Schumann-Fest”. With all these music events in the West Saxon metropolis, the music of Schumann and is contemporaries is put in the spotlight, performed by great artists and ensembles and thus helps to catch the audience of the 21st century.