Organ Sound at Christmas

On selected Saturdays and religious holidays visitors of Merseburg Cathedral can experience the sound of the “Queen of instruments”. Listen to the romantic Ladegast organ, one of the region’s most magnificent organs. In a 40-minute concert, accompanied by spiritual words, organists from far and wide show their impressive skills.

For Christmas on 25 December 2024, cathedral organist Michael Schönheit will be playing the Ladegast organs from 3 pm.

Michael Schönheit (born in 1961) studied conducting with Wolf-Dieter Hauschild, piano with Günther Kootz and organ with Wolfgang Schetelich from 1982 at the Leipzig University of Music "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy". In 1986, he was appointed Gewandhaus organist, succeeding Matthias Eisenberg. At the same time, he became a member of the Leipzig Bach Orchestra. Schönheit has worked with important conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Kurt Masur, Michel Plasson, Marek Janowski and Wolf-Dieter Hauschild. Kurt Masur gave him the opportunity to make his debut as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic in 1995. In 1991/1992, he temporarily took over the rehearsals of the Gewandhaus Choir. He then taught the subjects of artistic and liturgical organ playing at the now closed Berlin-Spandau Church Music School and has been teaching artistic organ playing at the Nuremberg University of Music since 1994. Since 1994 he has taught artistic organ playing at the Nuremberg University of Music and is also artistic director of the Merseburg Organ Festival. In March 1996 he was appointed cathedral organist of Merseburg Cathedral.