End-of-Semester Concert: Applause for 200 Musicians
2026-07-21 At this year's end-of-semester concert, about 200 students showcased the musical work they had done during the summer semester. In addition to vocal pieces, jazz was a prominent feature of the program.
Nearly every seat in the Libeskind Auditorium is filled as the Leuphana Big Band, conducted by Hartmut Singer, opens the evening. Bob Mintzer’s piece “Tribute” begins quietly and leisurely, but quickly makes it clear that this ensemble—and this evening as a whole—has a lot to offer musically. The five soloists—on piano, guitar, tenor and baritone saxophone, and trombone—seem to be engaged in a sonic and, above all, lively dialogue with their big band. The piece and the varied solos within it practically challenge the audience to listen intently. “The big band simply won me over with its groovy and rousing songs,” sums up audience member and Leuphana student Nelly. She’s not alone in this assessment. Looking around the auditorium, one can see countless heads bobbing, feet tapping, and fingers lightly drumming.
“Big band” seems to be a popular theme overall this evening. The Leuphana Cantorum, led by Oliver Mathes, also imitates an entire big band with its 10 singers and the song “It Don’t Mean a Thing,” even drawing a few laughs for the deliberately distorted sounds they create solely through the interplay of their voices. The fun that this “vocal jazz” seems to bring the singers is contagious: “It’s so great to see that singing this piece is so much fun,” observes audience member Luise, who is watching the concert from the front row.
Across all genres, Benjamin Britten’s cantata “Rejoice in the Lamb,” arranged by Imogen Holst, stands out as the highlight of musical precision this evening. Around 50 musicians—comprising the chamber choir and a chamber orchestra-like selection from the Sinfonia, conducted by Rebecca Lang—bring Britten’s 16-minute piece to life with the utmost concentration. The notes of his sacred music, fresh and precise, radiate with maximum expression, lingering even into the concert intermission.
In addition to the big band and its audible inspiration, the evening is above all in the spirit of vocal music, which is presented in such a diverse manner that a single category seems too narrow to encompass it. The large choir, conducted by Anna Bertram, and the vocal ensemble present a colorful mix of pop and rock pieces, with the song “Michelle”—originally by the Beatles—sounding almost mystical. The vocal ensemble also celebrates its premiere with this end-of-semester concert.
Also new to the stage of the end-of-semester concert—though not for the last time on the auditorium stage—the first Leuphana Musical Production presented a medley from their work on “Dear Evan Hansen.” In various configurations, they offered a first musical glimpse of what audiences can expect to hear in its full-length version over three evenings in October.