The Academic Orchestra plays in the hospital chapel

The Academic Orchestra of the University of Würzburg is adding a new format to its series of popular Christmas concerts in the Catholic Chapel of the University Hospital of Würzburg (UKW) on the campus at Josef-Schneider-Straße: on Friday, 6 February 2026, it will perform a serenade in chamber orchestra format at 8.00 pm. Admission is free. Donations on site are welcome.

The programme will open with the Double Bass Concerto No. 2 by Giovanni Bottesini. This will be followed by two further pieces by Italian masters: the popular Adagio in G minor by Tomaso Albinoni and "Crisantemi" by Giacomo Puccini. The three-movement String Serenade op. 20 by Edward Elgar concludes the programme, which lasts just under an hour.

The concert will be broadcast to the patients' rooms via the hospital TV so that patients at the UKW can also enjoy the music.

About the Academic Orchestra

Founded in 1954, the Academic Orchestra of the University of Würzburg is made up of students from various faculties. Under the direction of Markus Popp, the ensemble focusses on demanding symphonic music, which it performs in Würzburg and at various guest venues in Franconia. On many tours across Europe - from Gothenburg to Paris, Rome and Marseille - the orchestra has also performed as a cultural ambassador for the region and the University of Würzburg.

In addition, the ensemble regularly organises university events such as the foundation festival, the annual prizewinners' festival concert of the Unibund or the festive university Christmas concert. In addition to engagements with a full orchestra, the orchestra regularly performs in serenades and soirées with chamber ensembles - from solo to trio and quartet to (baroque) chamber orchestra.