The past four contests already gave proof of the excellent musical quality of the participating soloists and ensembles. The young musicians presented the diversity of Graun’s music in vocal and instrumental performances. Thus, they demonstrated that Carl Heinrich Graun was a distinguished opera composer and that Johann Gottlieb Graun was a virtuosic instrumental composer. Both, the contest and the final concert are open to the public.

Before the international contest starts, there will be a regional competition of musical ensembles, choirs and soloists from the district of Elbe-Elster which is announced by the Culture Office Elbe-Elster. The regional contest will take place on the 21st of October at the Bürgerhaus Bad Liebenwerda. This event aims at the introduction of regional musicians to the musical heritage of the Graun brothers. The winners of the regional award will perform during the final concert of the international contest on the 5th of November, 2011.

This year, the „Gebrüder Graun Prize“ will be more than a contest. The highlight will be the first public performance of “Te Deum” (German initial version of C.W. Ramler) and of “Concerto Grosso G major” by C.H. Graun, played by the Lautten Compagney and the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin. Ten years ago, the scores of the collection of the Sing-Akademie were rediscovered in Ukraine, as well as more than 500 additional musical works of the Graun family. The closing event of the Graun festival will be a musical church service at the baptistery of the Graun brothers in Wahrenbrück.