Events in Southern Styria
Leibnitzer Jazzfestival
Jazz Evening at the Episcopal Wine Cellar, Seggau Castle
This September, the Jazz Festival Leibnitz once again transforms the historic Seggau Castle into a stage for unforgettable musical encounters.
The evening opens with NoSax NoClar – Julien Stella (clarinet, composition) and Bastien Weeger (saxophone, clarinet, composition). Their sound blends groove, lyricism, and emotional intensity, moving effortlessly from playful improvisation to intimate dreamscapes. With precision, creativity, and a remarkable gift for listening to one another, they craft music that feels like a folklore of the imagination – irresistible and unique.
Following them, the duo Norman & Corrie bring the spirit of Scotland to the castle’s atmospheric wine cellar. Inspired by folk tunes from the Shetland Islands, they reinvent tradition by rearranging, deconstructing, and reshaping old melodies into something entirely their own – fresh, vibrant, and deeply rooted.
When: September 25, 2025
7:00 PM – NoSax NoClar (FR)
8:30 PM – Norman & Corrie (SCO)
More informations and ticktets: Jazz Festival Leibnitz.
Raritäten Rieden Winzersekte
Under the titel “Raritäten, Rieden und Winzersekte” winegrowers from the region and from neighboring Slovenia invite you to taste their very special wines and sparkling wines!
When: Saturday, November 15th, 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
4:00 p.m. grand opening with wine tasting and culinary delights
4:00 p.m. – 9 p.m.: DJ Ted Funke
Where: Episcopal wine cellar Schloss Seggau
APERITIVO – the Italian Styrian pop-up bar on the Weinstrasse will provide culinary delights.
Admission: € 45,00 per person
Concert series
SCHLOSS SEGGAU MATINEES
Classic & Culinary
Hopkinson Smith & Sophie Klußmann
Per Meraviglian, Renaissance Songs for Lute
Sunday, November 16, 2025 at 11:00 a.m.
Fürstenzimmer, Schloss Seggau
At the beginning of the 16th century, the invention of music printing in Italy and France gave ensembles new access to folk music – songs from this period form the focus of the first half of the concert. The second half is devoted to the flowering of English lute songs around 1600. Works by Dowland, Morley, and others combine personal immediacy with great expressive power. Celebrated soprano Sophie Klußmann and internationally renowned lutenist Hopkinson Smith present a Renaissance program that takes them on international concert tours –
including to the Fürstenzimmer of Schloss Seggau, where their interpretations can be experienced in an exclusive setting.
Hopkinson Smith – Harvard graduate, co-founder of Hespèrion XX – is regarded as an authority on historical plucked instruments. Since the 1980s he has focused on solo repertoire, has performed worldwide, received numerous awards, and teaches at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis.
Alois Mühlbacher & Ars Antiqua Austria
“Cantatas and Instrumental Virtuosity”
Works by Biber, Bononcini, Caldara and others
Sunday, January 15, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.
in the vaulted cellar of Schloss Seggau
Alois Mühlbacher and the ensemble Ars Antiqua Austria under Gunar Letzbor have enjoyed a long-standing collaboration – at festivals such as Utrecht or “Resonanzen” at the Vienna Konzerthaus, as well as on numerous award-winning CD recordings. In Leibnitz, they present a program that has thrilled both audiences and critics. At its center are works by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber – milestones of Baroque violin literature:
whose vocal presence and emotional depth are widely celebrated: “Biber at his best – highly virtuosic, brilliant, inspired, and leaving no room to breathe.” (Dirk Kruse, BR Klassik). Giovanni Bononcini is also represented – impressively interpreted by Alois Mühlbacher,
Benjamin Schmid & Ariane Haering
Works by Mozart, Paganini, Kreisler and Breinschmid
Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.
Styria Hall, Seggau Castle
Benjamin Schmid presents a varied, personal program with works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – a central part of his repertoire, for which he has received numerous awards, including the Mozart Prize Carl Flesch (London), multiple Echo Klassik and Opus Klassik Awards. The program is complemented by compositions from Niccolò Paganini, Fritz Kreisler, as well as Schmid’s stage partner, the bassist Georg Breinschmid.
Benjamin Schmid (Violin)
Since his debut in 1986 at the Salzburg Festival with Sir Yehudi Menuhin, Schmid has been regarded as one of the most sought-after violinists internationally. He has appeared with the Vienna Philharmonic, the Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, among others. His more than 60 CD recordings have received numerous awards, including the Korngold Violin Concerto with the Vienna Philharmonic under Seiji Ozawa, which Fono Forum ranked among the “ten best live CDs.”
Ariane Haering (Piano)
The Swiss pianist studied in La Chaux-de-Fonds and in the USA, completing her studies with Brigitte Meyer with the highest distinction. Since 2016 she has been a member of the Alban Berg Ensemble Wien. She has enjoyed a successful duo partnership with Benjamin Schmid for over 20 years.
Nataša Mirković, Marco Ambrosini, Murat Coşkun, Rafael Catalá
“On the Threshold” – Falling Musical Boundaries
Songs, original works and arrangements by Purcell, Handel, Catalá, folk songs and more
Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.
in the wine cellar of Schloss Seggau
The exceptional voice of Nataša Mirković and three virtuoso instrumentalists invite you, as musical “border crossers,” on a special journey: well-known arias by Purcell or Handel first appear in their original form, then in a new, improvised dimension – always with a palpable connection to their source. Old songs and melodies are transformed, and so is the audience: by the end, richer, wiser, more beautiful.
Nataša Mirković – Vocal artist between rock and baroque, composer and arranger – is considered one of the most fascinating voices of our time. She sang the title song for Angelina Jolie’s In the Land of Blood and Honey and contributed to the film The Promise. Her CD on the Carpe Diem label received the German Record Critics’ Award.
Marco Ambrosini – leading nyckelharpa virtuoso, composer and soloist – has performed in more than 25 countries and released over 150 CDs.
Murat Coşkun – master of oriental percussion – bridges East and West, performed with orchestras such as the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and appeared worldwide.
Rafael Catalá – internationally sought-after guitarist between classical and flamenco – has performed with stars such as Teresa Berganza and Carlos Álvarez; his recordings have been released by labels such as Sony Classical.
SPECIAL TOURS
FULL MOON TOUR
Romantic castle tour and guided tour with laterns and full moon viewing on the “Glockenwiese” meadow.
Dates:
Sunday, September 7th, 2025, begin 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, October 7th, 2025, begin 5:30 p.m.
Duration approx. 75 minutes / comfortable tour, elevator available
A deposit is required for lanterns.
Price per person: € 12.00
€ 5.00 children 6 – 16 years / children up to 6 years free
These full moon castle tours are only held in German!
