And he lives in Leipzig. Admittedly his body has long been buried here, but his spirit is still alive. That can be recognised by the fact that thousands of visitors come every year to the international Bach festival in Leipzig. But hardly a day goes by when somewhere in Leipzig Bach is performed. Johann Sebastian Bach composed his greatest works in Leipzig. For example "St. Mathew's Passion", the "Mass in B Minor" or the „Art of the Fugue".

Furthermore his wife bore him here thirteen children. It seems Bach must have felt fairly much at home here in Leipzig. And it is for the same reasons that so many musicians, writers and actors are attracted to Leipzig: Because this is where they can express themselves freely both professionally and personally. We would be happy, therefore, if you would also come to Leipzig – for instance for the next Bach Festival from 14 -23 May 2004. And please bring as many children with you as you wish. (In Leipzig there are also any amount of pop and rock concerts). That is Leipzig Freedom.

Music capital of Europe

Leipzig and music: At the annual international Bach festival this heartfelt relationship is experienced close up by tens of thousands of visitors from near and far every year. After all, Johann Sebastian Bach performed music, composed and conducted here for over 27 years. As Thomas cantor he led the oldest and most famous boy's choir in the world. With him the first performance of the Christmas Oratorio, St. Mathew's Passion, religious cantata and – possibly inspired after a visit to the Coffeebaum – the Coffee Cantata were presented. Bach's relationship with the city was clouded for his whole life. He was initially the third choice for the position of Musical Director. He was successful here in his fight for freedom of music. His world fame is inseparably tied to Leipzig. In the St. Thomas church, Bach archives and museum and in Bach's lovingly adorned grave can be seen how much the people of Leipzig love and honour the master. Leipzig's reputation as place of pilgrimage for classical music is based on many great names.

Like a lexicon of great names

 Professor Joachim Kaiser wrote, Leipzig is after Vienna probably the music city with the most tradition in the world. The re-discoverer of Bach, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (the only preserved Bartholdy House is in Leipzig) and musical director Richard Wagner gathered important inspiration on the river Pleisse. Clara and Robert Schumann, Albert Lortzing, Heinrich Marschner, Edvard Grieg, Gustav Mahler, Peter Tschaikowsky, Max Reger and Hanns Eisler enriched the music world here.

The Citizens' Heritage: Choirs, Orchestras, Instruments

 Leipzig is the home of the Opera House, the Gewandhaus, the Musical Instruments Museum of Leipzig University and the oldest German conservatory, institutions which are still alive today and which once helped to found bourgeois music in Europe. On their world tours the Gewandhaus Orchestra with their Leipzig musicians regularly generate a storm of enthusiasm among their listeners. The Leipzig Opera House was twice awarded the prize of "Opera House of the Year" in the nineties.

Rejoice, exult!

 That musical heritage is more than a museum-like treasure, this is the principle followed by the organisers of the Bach Festival. Unexpected highlights are created by the variations in Bach interpretations - „Bach on Air", „Jazz & Bach" and „Dancing to Bach" –– also for the more classical sceptics. In concerts on the market square thousands listen to the transformation of Bach into today's jazz. After all, everyone likes his own kind of music; the people of Leipzig, therefore, provide something unusual for all tastes. Actually reason enough to rejoice in Bach.

Honky Tonk – Exceptional Circumstances for Music

 Twice a year Leipzig is subjected to exceptional musical circumstances – Honky Tonk, Europe's biggest pub festival takes over the city. In 130 pubs, the same number of bands play. Tens of thousands of young people wander from pub to pub, from concert to concert. The shuttle service of the Leipzig public transport service transfers the delighted masses between the music locations back and forth. Freedom of music: it's at home in Leipzig.