The way the musicians guided the audience through the evening was particularly charming. Before each piece, they provided insights into the composers, the spirit of their era, and the background of the works. After the final note, a sense of collective wonder remained—and the evening resonated long after during the get-together in many conversations.

A morning and an evening that didn’t just impress, but truly touched the heart.

The guests were able to experience the latter in the unique atmosphere of the Knights’ Hall at Kempfenhausen Castle. It was the kind of stylish setting one could only hope for at a classical concert: bathed in light, intimate, with nearly perfect acoustics—a space that not only carries the music but truly makes it shine. Julian Schad’s instinct for selecting music and venues harmonized in a special way.

During the matinee, the two exceptional young cellists, Tommy Haas and Till Schuler, enchanted the audience with their technical brilliance, impressive tone, and extraordinary musicality. Another highlight of the morning was Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s Piano Trio No. 2, performed by Julian Schad (violin), Viviana-Zarah Baudis (piano), and Tommy Haas (cello).

Organizer and musician Julian Schad did not overpromise when he said beforehand that even unattached people would get their money’s worth at “Klassik 2.0 & Club.” The combination of exceptional music, first-class musicians, and the special atmosphere in the Marstall had an invigorating effect on singles—and on couples, of course.

While the second half of the concert was bathed in positive feelings and romance, the first half, featuring Gabriel Fauré’s Piano Quartet No. 1, Op. 15, offered all the nuances of a relationship—including the unpleasant ones.

“Fauré put a lot into this music,” said Julian Schad, adding: “Her name was Mathilde.” The relationship between Mathilde and Gabriel was apparently marked by ups and downs.

Schad on violin, François Thirault on cello, Christian Atanasiu on viola, and the enchanting Anjulie Chen on piano gave themselves over to these feelings expressed in musical notes. The Klassik 2.0 Quartet presented the drama, even to the point of despair, just as convincingly as the lovely passages characterized by infatuation.

It wasn’t necessarily light fare, and Schad was well aware of that. He actually launched the Klassik 2.0 series with the aim of making classical music more popular. Nevertheless, he was convinced of the evening’s program:

“The second half will be even more catchy,” he promised.