NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE – CANCELLED

Following the recent political and social events in the United States and the impact of U. S. politics around the world, after the appearance of the President of the United States at the World Economic Forum in Davos and his comments about the host country Switzerland and to the Swiss government, and finally after having learnt what a humiliating process a musician has to undergo if he wanted to obtain a work visa to the United States, I have decided to withdraw my commitment as conductor of the Markuspassion at the Berkeley Festival 2026.

This decision was not an easy one for me. I am aware that it calls into question the work of everyone involved in the project so far; it disappoints the efforts of many people; and it prevents what would most likely have been a unique musical collaboration. However, after careful consideration and deliberation, I see no other option at this point in time.

I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who had been involved in the project, especially and before all others to concertmaster Lisa Weiss, who has been working tirelessly to organize and implement this project. Also, I would like to apologize to everyone involved for any inconvenience caused by my decision.

February 2, 2026  ·  Nikolaus Matthes