In the season 2012, as part of the "Richard Wagner for Children" project, the Bayreuth Festival will be presenting a version of Richard Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg specially adapted for children. It will be directed by Eva-Maria Weiss and once again the conductor will be Hartmut Keil. The premiere will take place at 1 p.m. on 25th July, the day on which the Bayreuth Festival traditionally opens. Nine further performances of the children's version are scheduled, with the last on 4th August 2012.  The venue is Rehearsal Stage IV of the Bayreuth Festival.

As in previous years, the orchestra will be made up of 29 members of the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt (Oder). Beyond that, we are particularly looking forward to the first-ever participation of the children's choir from the Phorms-Schule in Frankfurt am Main. Their involvement is the result of a costume design competition which schools in Frankfurt am Main took part in and which was co-organized by the Fair Play Foundation earlier this year. The five classes presented some exciting costume designs. The winning designs, for which prizes were given on Events Day on 20th March 2012, can be admired at the Rehearsal Stage of the Bayreuth Festival from 25th July onwards.

Performance by the children's choir on 20 March 2012.

The ambitious project "Richard Wagner for Kinder" is made possible by the kind and generous support of our principal sponsor and our sponsors and patrons.