Schuberts Winterreise - eine Reise zu den Abgründen der Seele

Schubert’s *Winterreise*. A journey into the depths of the soul.

An evening for people who love Schubert. And for people who think they don’t really connect with classical art songs. A concert for everyone who wants to experience why this music remains so powerfully relevant nearly 200 years after it was composed.

Not a museum piece. A “Winter Journey” for our time.

Schubert’s *Winterreise* is considered one of the most significant song cycles of the Romantic era. A work about loneliness, alienation, loss, longing, and the faint glimmer of hope.

And yet, even today, it is often treated like a museum masterpiece:
The singer stands stiffly next to the grand piano.
The pianist accompanies.
The audience listens reverently from a safe distance.

But how can that be—given the energy, the urgency, and the inner radicalism of this music?

*Winterreise * is not a pleasant recital.
It is a journey to the very edges of the human condition.

What We Do Differently

The duo ju:st Lied approaches Schubert’s cycle scenically, spatially, and physically. A Winter Journey for our time.

Julia Aldinger and Stefan Bien liberate *Winterreise* from the purely concert-based format. Voice, piano, body, space, and silence interact with one another.

The singer doesn’t simply stand next to the grand piano.
The space becomes part of the narrative.
The audience becomes not just listeners, but counterparts.

Proximity, distance, movement, gaze, breath, and silence become musical elements.

The result is not a historical exhibit, but a space for experience: immediate, vulnerable, intense. Directed by the young, multi-award-winning director Lea Willeke from Berlin.

A journey into the depths of the human soul. With courage and personal truth

What happens when a person sets out on a journey even though they are already exhausted inside? When love, loss, and hope collide? When coldness suddenly gives way to insight?
The traditional song recital transforms into a stage experience that blends concert, storytelling, and personal confession.

Voices from the audience

“You could have heard a pin drop.”

“I’m completely worn out, but happy.”

“I’ve heard *Winterreise* many times, but this was one of a kind.”

“You must have been through a lot to be able to sing like that.”

“Ms. Aldinger performs Schubert with such ease—it’s one of a kind.”

And criticism is also part of this work:

“No, that won’t work at all; you can’t do it that way.”

For this *Winterreise* seeks no complacency.
It seeks truth.

Artistic Support and Past Collaborations

The duo ju:st Lied is supported in its work on Schubert’s Winterreise by Olaf Bär. 

Thomas Quasthoff also encouraged Stefan Bien on his journey: “You’ll surely find your way—good luck!”
Following the first concerts in 2025, the project continues to grow.

Concerts in 2025
Dresden · Robert Schumann Hall
Vienna · Ballroom, C. Bechstein Centrum
Leipzig · Mendelssohn House

Additional Concerts in 2026
Leipzig · Gewandhaus
Munich - Hall 4, Unterfahrt
Hamburg – Resonanzraum
Dresden - Robert Schumann Hall
Oslo - Sentralen

Two artists. Two biographies. One cycle.

Julia Aldinger and Stefan Bien approach Schubert’s *Winterreise* not from an academic distance, but from lived experience.
The pianist, who is returning to the art of the art song after years devoted to academia and family.
The singer, who finds his voice after exhaustion, upheaval, and a new direction.

The result is an evening about leaving and rediscovering.
About falling silent and returning to speech.
About cold, longing, and the faint possibility of hope.

Julia Aldinger · Piano

Julia Aldinger comes from a German-Russian family of pianists. Her studies took her to Dresden, Weimar, and St. Petersburg, as well as to master classes with Peter Schreier, András Schiff, Gerold Huber, and Olaf Bär. After an intensive concert career, she initially turned her attention to her family and worked as a researcher in cancer research at the Helmholtz Institute. In 2024, she returned to the stage as a song pianist. Today she teaches piano at the Dresden State High School for Music. Her playing combines lightness, clarity, and a special sensitivity to language, breath, and emotional nuances.

Stefan Bien · Baritone

Stefan Bien was the CEO of an international company in the field of online marketing—and at the same time a passionate singer.

After experiencing burnout, walking the Camino de Santiago, and a period of personal reorientation, he found his way back to his artistic voice through painting and singing. A formative piece of advice came from Thomas Quasthoff: “You will surely find your way—good luck, good luck, good luck.” He received further important artistic inspiration from Olaf Bär, Jean-Noël Briend, Tobias Berndt, and Jan Fackelmann, among others.
His interpretation of *Winterreise* is shaped by personal experience, existential urgency, and the courage not only to sing Schubert’s music but to live it fully.

Duo ju:st Lied
Julia Aldinger · Piano
Stefan Bien · Baritone