spreeklänge
Music trail along the water
25 – 27 Jun 2026
Eleven international composers have created new works for special locations along the Charlottenburg bank of the Spree. The public is invited to stroll from one performance venue to the next as the sun sets – “Spreeklänge” celebrates the longest evenings of the year with an extraordinary musical walk along the river.
Music Trail
- Location:
Caprivibrücke to Rohrdammbrücke - Date:
25 – 27 Jun 2026 - Time:
6 – 10 pm - Price:EUR 15 (Reduced: EUR 9)
- Languages: German
- Save appointment
Entry every 15 minutes in time slots from 6 to 7:45 pm
Entry at the Rosengarten by the Caprivibrücke (near U-Bahn station Richard-Wagner-Platz: U7)
Finish at Ruhwaldweg by the Rohrdammbrücke (shuttle to U-Bahn station Siemensdamm: U7)The music trail takes 2–3 hours, depending on individual walking pace and length of stops.
If the event is cancelled on any of the three days due to weather conditions, the ticket will be valid on Sunday 28 June in the corresponding time slot.
In the context of the music trail, the conference “Time to Listen. Multispecies Creativity in Music and Sound” will take place on Friday and Saturday afternoons (26 and 27 Jun) 1–5:30 pm at the Akademie der Künste on Hanseatenweg.
The music trail follows the river Spree for five kilometres through various urban areas of the Charlottenburg district. It passes through residential quarters, parks, allotments, industrial areas and the lock.
Eleven international composers were invited to compose new works for specific locations along Berlin’s largest waterway – as a response to the respective geographical site and urban environment, as well as to local and global knowledge of water and multi-species ecosystems. The “Spreeklänge” create immersive soundscapes whilst also addressing critical reflections such as questions regarding the spiritual significance of water in indigenous communities and the rights and dignity of rivers and non-human beings. The acoustic space spans from Philippine stalactite caves to the sounds of water that can only be perceived through touch, to an encounter with diverse bat species along the Faule Spree. Utopias are staged with singers in rowboats, field names are recited, and a “sound forest” is brought to life by students.
The performances take place around the river: along the riverside path, on boats on the water, or even on the opposite bank, under bridges or in open spaces. The individual compositions relate to the specific location, transforming it and thereby altering its perception. They are interventions in the everyday, normal use of public space.
Each work has its own specific format. Small concerts, musical-theatrical interventions and installations, often involving local communities and school groups, come together to form a multifaceted contemporary soundscape for a mobile audience, who can move from station to station with open senses and listen to the sounds, the river and the living creatures.
Route
Rosengarten/Wintersteinstraße – Caprivibrücke – Schlossbrücke – Schlosspark Charlottenburg – S-Bahnbrücke Jungfernheide – Kleingartenkolonie – Wehr/Schleuse Charlottenburg – Rudolf-Wissell-Brücke A 100 – Alte Siemensbahn/Fürstenbrunner Graben – Allotment gardens – Industrial estate – Renaturalised old river arms – Rohrdammbrücke – Allotment gardens
Composers
Peter Ablinger, Cathy van Eck, Em'kal Eyongakpa, Stephan Froleyks, Carlos Gutiérrez & Tatiana López, Susie Ibarra, Liza Lim, Kate Milligan, Trond Reinholdtsen, Annette Schmucki, Kristine Tjøgersen
Performers
ELISION Ensemble, Die Maulwerker / Fernanda Farah, Karin Hellqvist / Jennifer Torrence / Evelina Dembacke / Ellen Jerstad / Lars A. Skoglund, Christian Kesten, Jake Landau / Bilawa Ade Respati, Projekt Selbstgebaute Musik / Schüler*innen des Berggruen-Gymnasiums / Phusiris de los Andes Ensemble / students of the UdK/FU Berlin, Frauenchor der Künste Berlin, pupils of the Schinkel Grundschule et al.
Artistic direction
Julia Gerlach, Daniel Ott
