Culture Prize 2025: Freyung honors folk music duo and talented pianist!

Culture Prize 2025: Freyung honors folk music duo and talented pianist!

On Sunday, October 12, 2025, the eagerly awaited award ceremony of the Freyung-Grafenau district's culture and support award will take place in the Freyung Kurhaus. The official start is at 3 p.m., and the invitation to participate is addressed to all citizens who can register by email or telephone by September 26th, as muw-nachrichten.de reports.

This year the event honors three outstanding personalities from the field of culture. The main prize goes to the duo Tom & Basti from Mauth, who delight with their authentic folk music from the Bavarian Forest. Their music appeals to a cross-generational audience and promotes the region's reputation, especially at events such as the Mauthler Heimatfest and Advent singing.

Prize winner and musical supporting program

The pianist Giulia Timea Fioranti from Waldkirchen also received the sponsorship award. She began her piano training in Pula and Waldkirchen and was supported by renowned musicians. Her participation in a master class with Prof. Andreas Weber from the Mozarteum Salzburg and numerous performances in Germany and Croatia prove her great talent.

The musical supporting program for the award ceremony is designed by the award winners themselves and promises to enrich the event.

Cultural events and musical experiences

In the Freyung region, the 55th Choir and Orchestra Week in Hinterschmiding is also noteworthy. This event has a tradition of over 50 years and attracts around 150 participants every year. The intensive week of rehearsals culminated in three impressive final concerts. The highlight was the performance of “Carmina Burana” by Carl Orff, which captivated the audience with its high musical quality.

• Das Ensemble „Fünf nach Zwei“ unter der Leitung von Meike Beyer präsentierte Stücke wie „Little Fandango“ und „The Red windmill“.
• Die Holzbläser, geleitet von Anna Messman, führten den ersten Satz des „Divertimento N. 1 in B-Dur“ von Joseph Haydn auf.
• Ein 80-köpfiger Chor unter Tristan Meister sang „Richte mich Gott“ von Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.
• Das Streicherensemble unter Rainer Nürnberger stellte „Chanson de Matin“ von Edward Elgar vor.
• Die Blechbläser unter Michael Beck hatten ebenfalls ihren Auftritt mit dem „Gloria“ von Antonin Dvořák.
• Der Kammerchor sang religiöse Lieder sowie Werke von Dizzy Stratford, darunter „Sunny Day“ und „Tragic Story“.
• Besonders berührend war das Kindermusical „Tuishi pamoja“, das von 30 Kindern und Jugendlichen geführt wurde und Themen wie Freundschaft und Toleranz mit afrikanischer Musik verbindet.

The final concert, which took place in the parish church, offered a magnificent end to the week with works such as “O Fortuna” from “Carmina Burana”. Under the direction of Tristan Meister, who works as a lecturer in choral conducting at music colleges, the choir demonstrated that high sonority and textual confidence can harmonize with each other.

Overall, the Freyung region, with its diverse cultural events, offers an impressive framework for creative development and community interaction, as the Freyung Cultural Circle highlights.