Opening of the Messiaen Days 2026 – Quatuor pour la fin du Temps

Historic Anniversary and Musical Highlight

On January 15, 2026, the 85th anniversary of the premiere of Olivier Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du Temps will be commemorated — first performed in barracks 27B of Stalag VIII A. In Görlitz-Zgorzelec, the work will once again be performed as the highlight of the evening, presented by the international chamber ensemble Baltic Neopolis Virtuosi with musicians from Portugal, France, and Poland. “This quartet is more than music — it is a testimony to human resilience, connecting past and present in a deeply moving way,” says Klaudyna Michalska-Tomyslak, director of the Messiaen Days.

Artists and Concert Program

The ensemble consists of Emanuel Salvador (violin, Portugal), Jean-Marc Fessard (clarinet, France), Adam Klocek (cello, Poland), and Fanny Azzuro (piano, France). The program includes Béla Bartók’s Contrasts and Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du Temps, whose spiritual musical language reflects the historical significance of the site of its premiere.

Tour of the Historic Grounds: The Stalag VIII A Görlitz Prisoner-of-War Camp

Prior to the concert, at 5:00 p.m., a guided tour of the outdoor grounds of the Stalag VIII A Memorial invites visitors to learn about the lives of individual prisoners of war. During the 45-minute tour of the site of the former Stalag VIII A POW camp, Alexandra Grochowski, managing director of Meetingpoint Memory Messiaen e.V., vividly conveys the human destinies behind the historical numbers.

Organization, Transportation, and Reception

Please note: Due to renovation work at the European Center for Remembrance, Education, and Culture, the tour will take place only on the memorial’s outdoor premises, and the concert will exceptionally be held in the Kulturforum Görlitzer Synagoge in Görlitz.

A shuttle bus connects Görlitz (Demianiplatz, bus stop for coaches, 4:30 p.m.) and Zgorzelec (PKP Miasto, 4:45 p.m.) with the memorial site; the tour begins at 5:00 p.m. Afterwards, the bus will continue to the Kulturforum Görlitzer Synagoge, where the concert starts at 7:00 p.m. Following the performance, the festival invites guests to a reception.

Tickets are available online via tickettune.com/mmm/, at the Görlitz Tourist Information Office on Obermarkt 32, and at the organizer’s office at Demianiplatz 40.

Continuation in May 2026

The Messiaen Days will continue from May 1 to 3, 2026 with a diverse and multifaceted program.

The aim is to convey Messiaen’s artistic legacy in a vibrant way, to shed light on the history of Stalag VIII A, and to further strengthen German-Polish cross-border cultural understanding.

Quartet for the End of Time – The Musicians

Emanuel Salvador – Violine

Emanuel Salvador (*1981, Portugal) is regarded by The Strad as one of the outstanding violinists of his generation. After studying at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the Royal College of Music in London, he served as concertmaster of the Orquestra do Norte from 2005–2014. Since 2016, he has led the violin class at the Academy of Arts in Szczecin and is concertmaster of the Baltic Neopolis Orchestra.

Jean-Marc Fessard – Clarinet

Jean-Marc Fessard (b. 1969, France) is a representative of the renowned French clarinet school. He studied at the Conservatoire National de Musique de Paris and later at the Music Academy in Gdańsk (PhD). He is a prizewinner of numerous international competitions and has released over 30 CDs. His work includes specializations in rarely performed clarinet repertoire.

Adam Klocek – Cello

Adam Klocek (Poland) is an internationally acclaimed cellist; he studied in Cologne and Berlin and is listed among the “Ten Top Cellists 2000”. His interpretations are characterized by technical brilliance and artistic depth.

Fanny Azzuro – Piano

Fanny Azzuro (*1986, France) comes from a family of musicians of Italian origin. She studied in Montpellier, at the Paris Conservatory, at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, and at the Accademia in Imola. She is known for her colorful musical expression and a versatile concert career from New York to Tokyo.

Detailed biographies of the artists, tickets, and further information can be found at:

https://www.messiaen-tage.eu
https://tickettune.com/mmm/

Contact:

Klaudyna Michalska-Tomyslak
michalska@messiaen-tage.eu
Meetingpoint Memory Messiaen e.V.