Presseinformation
Imago Dei Festival March 13 – April 6, 2026 | Klangraum Krems in the Minorite Church “I think in sounds, not in genres” is Albert Hosp’s guiding principle. Last year, he took on the role of artistic director of the Imago Dei Festival, which is set in the ambience of the early Gothic Klangraum Krems in the Minorite Church. The 2026 edition presents an even more international programme, spanning diverse artistic forms such as video art, dance, and literature. Each evening is introduced with a conversation or reading. A total of twelve events (including a film screening and a special concert for children conceived for school classes) will take place in the weeks leading up to Easter. The musical spectrum ranges from tango, songwriting, and traditional music to works by John Dowland, who passed away 400 years ago, J. S. Bach and W. A. Mozart, as well as commissioned works and world premieres. The participants hark from different countries: Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina, France, Japan, Croatia, the USA, and Austria, among others. Imago Dei 2026 is inspired by the power of poetry. Renowned writer Julian Schutting opens the festival on March 13 with a reading of a text he penned exclusively for Imago Dei, inspired by the themes water and transience. In the subsequent world premiere of “apsu” by the ensemble Brot & Sterne (Matthias Loibner, Franz Hautzinger, Peter Rosmanith), the narrator is the element of water itself. Music, visual art (visuals: Lillevan), and texts merge together into an organic whole. Imago Dei also honors Ingeborg Bachmann’s 100th birthday. One of the author’s stories sparked the musical scenario “Frühling. Leeres Land.” (Spring. Empty Land.) by Wolfgang Sauseng, who is celebrating his 70th birthday. The work was commissioned by the Chorus Sine Nomine under the direction of Johannes Hiemetsberger (world premiere on March 22). Poetry permeates the tango lyrics of the Piano Canción duo (March 20), the Corsican a cappella chants of A Filetta (April 3), the medieval epitaphs from Bosnia-Herzegovina in the project “Heretical Angels” (with Ensemble Dialogos and Kantaduri) on Holy Thursday (April 2), and the music of acclaimed mandolin virtuoso and singer-songwriter Chris Thile (March 14). The captivating solo programme by koto player Karin Nakagawa (artist-in-residence at Klangraum Krems) is interspersed with words from 13th-century Japan (March 29). Recorder player and oboist Carin van Heerden makes several appearances in Imago Dei 2026: Her recorder ensemble Element of Prime plays the children’s piece “Viola” on March 15, together with Judith Koblmüller. On March 28, Element of Prime presents an evening dedicated to John Dowland’s music and Robert Burton’s famous text “Anatomy of Melancholy”. Actress Dörte Lyssewksi participates with a reading. Nö Festival und Kino GmbH., Minoritenplatz 4, 3500 Krems an der Donau, PRESSEKONTAKT: Barbara Pluch, barbara.pluch@noe-festival.at; Tel: 0664 60499332 15.12.2025 Änderungen vorbehalten