GERMAN PREMIERE
GÖTTINGEN, MARCH 2026
“Standing ovations at the end of a Passion oratorio performance: that’s a rare occurrence. But the performance of Nikolaus Matthes’s St. Mark Passion on Saturday in the Church of St. Jacobi had the audience leaping to their feet.”
Göttinger Tageblatt
Michael Schäfer, March 9, 2026
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On Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8, 2026, the German premiere of the St. Mark Passion took place in Göttingen. In two concerts at the church of St. Jacobi, the Jacobikantorei, the St. Jacobi Chamber Choir, the Göttingen Baroque Orchestra and five vocal soloists performed the St. Mark Passion under the musical direction of Cantor Stefan Kordes. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to Stefan Kordes and everyone involved for their commitment and for the moving performances.
Here you can view the programme booklet for the Göttingen concerts.
Nikolaus Matthes and Stefan Kordes; February 16, 2026
Photo © Wolfgang Beisert 2026
Dress rehearsal at the Church of St. Jacobi; March 6, 2026
Photo © Katrin Benary 2026
Concert on March 7, 2026; Church of St. Jacobi, Göttingen
Photos © Katrin Benary 2026
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PRESS RELEASES – ADVANCE NOTICES
Kulturbüro Göttingen
Neue Markuspassion nach Bach: Vortragsreihe und Deutsche Erstaufführung
(New St. Mark Passion after Bach: Lecture series and German premiere)
By Jens Wortmann; January 15, 2026
Klassik heute
Deutsche Erstaufführung von Nikolaus Matthes’ »Markuspassion«
(German premiere of Nikolaus Matthes’s “St. Mark Passion”)
February 12, 2026
Göttinger Kammermusikgesellschaft e. V.
Markuspassion von Nikolaus Matthes am 7. und 8. März in St. Jacobi
(St. Mark Passion by Nikolaus Matthes on March 7 and 8 at St. Jacobi)
Novellette No. 299 by Michael Schäfer – Article on pages 1 and 6
February 18, 2026
Göttinger Tageblatt
»Ein wunderbarer Zufall« – Deutsche Erstaufführung: Nikolaus Matthes’ Markuspassion nach Johann Sebastian Bach erklingt in St. Jacobi
(“A wonderful coincidence” – German premiere: Nikolaus Matthes’ St. Mark Passion based on Johann Sebastian Bach to be performed at St. Jacobi
Interview: Udo Hinz; February 20, 2026
Kulturbüro Göttingen
Die verlorene Passion
(The lost Passion)
By Jens Wortmann; February 22, 2026
REVIEWS
Kulturbüro Göttingen
Eine Passion zwischen Bach und Gegenwart
(A Passion between Bach and the present day)
By Jens Wortmann; March 8, 2026
O-Ton online
Doch kein Größenwahn
(Not delusions of grandeur, after all)
By Michael Ritter; March 8, 2026
Göttinger Tageblatt
Barocke Musik, komponiert im 21. Jahrhundert
(Baroque music, composed in the 21st century)
By Michael Schäfer; March 9, 2026
Göttinger Kammermusikgesellschaft e. V.
Deutsche Erstaufführung der Markuspassion von Nikolaus Matthes
(German premiere of the St. Mark Passion by Nikolaus Matthes)
Novellette Nr. 303 by Michael Schäfer – Article on pages 1 to 4
March 10, 2026
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MEDITATION ON THE HOUR OF JESUS’S DEATH
Good Friday, April 3, 2026, 3 p. m. – Church of St. Jacobi
The Passion narrative according to the Evangelist Mark
With chorales and choral movements from the St. Mark Passion by Nikolaus Matthes, after J. S. Bach (2019/2020)
St. Jacobi Chamber Choir
Liturgy Pastor Áron Bence
Conductor Stefan Kordes
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SOLOISTS
Evangelist Daniel Johannsen
Jesus Daniel Pérez
Soprano Anna Nesyba
Alto Annekathrin Laabs
Tenor Daniel Johannsen
Baritone Thomas Laske
CHOIR
Jacobikantorei Göttingen
Kammerchor St. Jacobi
1st Traverso Dorothee Kunst
2nd Traverso Sarah Möller
1st Recorder Tabea Wink
2nd Recorder Anouk Krüger
1st Oboe Georg Fritz
2nd Oboe Annette Berryman
3rd Oboe Andrea Vilz
4th Oboe Katharina Arfken
Bassoon Markus Pauk
Contrabassoon Alexander Golde
Horn Gregor Lentjes
1st Violins Henning Vater (concertmaster), Julia Krikkay, Magdalena Schenk-Bader, Karla Enriquez
2nd Violins Christiane Gagelmann, Helga Schmidtmayer, Berit Coenders
Viola Klaus Bundies, Alice Vaz
Viola d’amore Henning Vater, Christiane Gagelmann
Viola da gamba Hermann Hickethier, Laura Frey
Violoncello Angelika Miklin, Konstanze Waidosch
Violone Johannes Ragg
Harpsichord Sabine Erdmann
Organ Yo Hirano
Lute and baroque guitar Andreas Düker
CONDUCTOR