Audi’s Summer Concerts Hit All the Right Notes
Audi Summer Concerts 2025 blend classical brilliance with bold innovation as world stars and young talent share a transformative stage
As the summer sun casts its golden hue over Bavaria, the Audi Summer Concerts 2025 are already capturing the imagination of audiences in Ingolstadt.
Now in full swing, the festival, running from 21 June to 27 July, reaffirms its reputation as one of Europe’s most forward-thinking musical gatherings.
It is a programme that seamlessly fuses classical grandeur with contemporary flair, designed not only to entertain but also to challenge, delight, and inspire.
This year’s opening event set an ambitious tone. Staged on the construction site of the future Museum of Concrete Art and Design Ingolstadt, a bold architectural project still under development, the launch was a multisensory experience.
Here, music, movement and space converged in a remarkable world premiere of three compositions from the Audi Composers Competition.
Performed by the Arcis Saxophone Quartet and the LauschWerk vocal ensemble (featuring members of Audi’s own Young Persons’ Choral Academy), the pieces were inspired by the theme of light.
Paired with contemporary dance and staged among unfinished walls, the production was a triumph of raw creativity and a fitting metaphor for Audi’s evolving relationship with innovation and artistry.
This year’s edition once again reflects a deliberate interweaving of generations. For younger audiences, the festival’s commitment is strategic and immersive.
On 6 July, Britain’s groundbreaking Aurora Orchestra returns to perform a family-oriented adaptation of The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns.
Known globally for its unconventional approach and flair for the theatrical, the ensemble is expected to turn this classic into a dynamic, light-filled journey through orchestral colour, perfect for young first-timers and seasoned listeners alike.
Just days later, on 12 July, the festival introduces “ADUI”, a musical superhero adventure tailored specifically for children.
Commissioned by Audi and written by Austrian composer Siegmund Andraschek, this playful production invites children to participate, moving through a narrative where music drives every twist and turn.
On 26 July, the Salzburg Festival contributes its offering for younger audiences with Berge flüstern laut (Mountains Whisper Loudly), a dramatic exploration of Alpine legends.
This imaginative work, directed by Elli Neubert, guides children aged eight and up through a world of myth, memory and magical creatures.
Beyond its innovative streak, the Audi Summer Concerts continue to draw classical music’s most respected names.
On 10 July, star violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter will perform alongside the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the historic Festsaal of the Stadttheater.
Their programme includes the second violin concerto written for her by five-time Academy Award winner John Williams; a piece that bridges the symphonic with the cinematic.
The evening will also feature Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter, reaffirming Williams’ broad cultural resonance.
The festival finale on 27 July promises to be equally compelling. Martynas Levickis, the charismatic accordionist from Lithuania whose performances are lauded across Europe, brings a bespoke arrangement of Bizet’s Carmen Suite to the same venue.
Levickis has become known for redefining the capabilities of his instrument, and this programme is expected to surprise and captivate in equal measure.
The season’s most radical offering may come on 19 July, when Stockholm-based chamber orchestra O/Modernt, led by Hugo Ticciati, takes the stage at Audi museum mobile.
Their programme Crossing over the Atlantic is a genre-defying journey; a collision of Benjamin Britten with the sonic worlds of Radiohead, Sting and Pink Floyd.
The ensemble’s refusal to conform has made them a critical favourite, and their appearance in Ingolstadt is likely to be a highlight for adventurous listeners.
Xavier Ros, Member of the Board of Management for Human Resources and Organisation at AUDI AG, puts it succinctly:
“The diverse programme of the Audi Summer Concerts could not embody our engagement to culture and commitment to promoting young talent any better.”
For Audi, the festival is a platform not only for music, but for the values of craftsmanship, progression and connectivity. For its audiences, whether local, international, or intergenerational, it is a journey through soundscapes that reflect both heritage and horizon.
With a carefully curated balance of timeless repertoire, daring new works, and imaginative performances for younger listeners, the 2025 edition is an unmissable moment on the European cultural calendar. Select tickets remain available.
