Orgelkonzert Winfried Bönig

In August and September, experience the concert series of the “2nd International Organ Summer” at St. Lorenz Church, featuring one of the world’s largest organ installations. Concerts are held every Friday at 7 p.m.

The opening concert on Friday, August 7, at 7 p.m., will feature none other than Winfried Bönig, organist at Cologne Cathedral, who most recently played a central role in one of Germany’s most significant organ projects: In June 2026 , the new Marienorgel at Cologne Cathedral was ceremoniously inaugurated, and Bönig played a key role in shaping its musical conception. On this evening, Winfried Bönig will perform music by Francis Poulenc, Claude Debussy, Enjott Schneider, and Gustav Holst. The program combines French musical poetry, contemporary organ music, and symphonic soundscapes into a concert experience that is just as varied. The highlight will be three movements from Holst’s famous suite *The Planets*, which will showcase the full orchestral power of the Lorenz organ system.

BIOGRAPHY: Winfried Bönig has been the cathedral organist in Cologne since 2001. From 1998 to 2025, he served as professor of organ performance and improvisation, heading the Catholic Church Music program at the Cologne University of Music and Dance; since 2025, he has been teaching at the Robert Schumann University of Music in Düsseldorf. As a performer of numerous world premieres, he has collaborated with composers such as Enjott Schneider, Jean Guillou, Naji Hakim, and Daniel Roth. His first CD featuring works by Dietrich Buxtehude (1988) received outstanding reviews. This was followed by numerous other recordings as an organist and conductor, including highly acclaimed recordings of the Cologne Cathedral organs as well as his transcription of Bach’s Goldberg Variations.