European Hanseatic Ensemble - Germany

The ensemble is composed of vocal soloists and instrumentalists who have excelled in the masterclasses of the previous year. They will play on instruments of the time around 1600: cornets, baroque trombones, violins in old scale, viole da gamba, dulcian, lute instruments and organ. In this instrumentation, the young musicians from many European countries perform works by composers who were active in the Hanseatic cities during the Hanseatic period (before 1669) and transport the audience into a world of sound that shaped the musical life of the old Hanseatic cities roughly 400 years ago.

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Young Talents for Hanseatic Music – New project since January 2025

The EU-funded project 'Young Talents for Hanseatic Music' (YTHM) gives young musicians the opportunity to develop and perform the vocalinstrumental ensemble music of the Hanseatic period on and with large organ instruments built in the historical style. After all, anyone looking for the original sound of representative ensemble music from around 1600 cannot ignore the inclusion of ‘real’ organs. But there are only a few places in Europe where it is still possible to immerse yourself in this fascinating world of sound. Thanks to the cooperation between Orlando e.V., Göteborg International Organ Academy and Stichting Groningen Orgelstad, young musicians from all over Europe can gain an insight into the repertoire of the Hanseatic period in masterclasses (2025 and 2026). On a concert tour of the European Hanseatic Ensemble the following year (2026 and 2027 respectively), they will experience performance situations that were common at the time the compositions were written.

Whit Monday, 25 May 2026, 5 p.m.
Lübeck, St. Jakobi-Kirche

European Hanseatic Ensemble
Manfred Cordes, conductor

Does Lübeck’s musical history begin with Dieterich Buxtehude? Not at all! The European Hanseatic Ensemble traced back the history and came across many unknown names. Some of the works performed in the concert on Whit Monday are fresh from the archives and include pieces by Thomas Baltzar, Nathanael Schnittelbach, Gregor Zuber and Nicolaus Bleyer – composers and musicians active in Lübeck at the end of the Hanseatic era, some of whom were also celebrated as violin virtuosos in England and Sweden. Of course, Franz Tunder, Buxtehude’s predecessor at St. Mary’s and founder of the ‘Abendmusiken’ (evening concerts), will also be featured with some of his cantatas.

The European Hanseatic Ensemble will perform with a 12-piece ensemble featuring prominent vocal soloists and a renowned string section (Veronika Skuplik – baroque violin, Hille Perl – viola da gamba).

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Deutschlandfunk Kultur will record the concert in Lübeck and will broadcast it on 28 June 2026 at 8 p.m. The programme will then be available online and via the Deutschlandfunk app for 30 days. 

Tickets: € 20 / red. € 12 (students, LübeckCard holders and people with disabilities of 50 GdB or more)

Tickets available at all Lübeck-Ticket advance booking offices, online at www.luebeck-ticket.de and at the evening box office from 4 p.m.

Promoter: Orlando e.V.
Kindly supported by the Possehl Foundation as well as the Hansestadt Lübeck and in cooperation with the Hanseatic History Society, the European Hansemuseum, Deutschlandfunk Kultur and the University of Music Lübeck