As part of this summer’s festival season, queerPassion—a bold new project by the Austrian collective ĀRT HOUSE—is set to bring a powerful queer reinterpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach’s ‘St. John Passion‘ to major European concert stages. 

With a new libretto by writer and dramaturge Thomas Höft, the production will be performed in collaboration with the Antwerp Queer Choir, Grazer Regenbogenchor, Tollkirschen Leipzig, and Fräulein A. Kapella Chor. The initiative is supported by European Union cultural funding.

The production premieres on 7 June 2025 at the Vienna Konzerthaus during Vienna Pride, before travelling to Leipzig for a performance on 13 June at the Paul Gerhardt Church as part of Bachfest. It will conclude on 22 August at Opera Antwerp, within the framework of the Antwerp Queer Arts Festival.

QueerPassion reclaims classical music as a space for visibility and remembrance. While the music remains entirely that of Johann Sebastian Bach, the libretto replaces the Biblical text with true stories of LGBTQ individuals who have faced persecution and violence—both in Bach’s era and in modern times.

Among the voices featured are those of Anastasius Lagrantinus Rosenstengel, a trans man executed in 1721 for living openly with a woman, and victims of the 1730s anti-gay crackdown in Utrecht. 

The performance also reflects on contemporary tragedies such as the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando in Florida and ongoing violence against lesbians in Mexico.

The project features the full ĀRT HOUSE 17 orchestra and five celebrated soloists, including Grammy Award-winning baritones Dietrich Henschel and Markus Schäfer, alongside acclaimed soprano Susanne Elmark. 

Around 150 amateur singers from various backgrounds will participate in the performances, creating a rich blend of professional and community voices. Preparatory workshops on queer history, interpretation, and collaboration further enrich the experience for participants.

QueerPassion is both a musical and political statement—acknowledging suppressed queer histories and embedding them into the canon of classical music. It offers audiences not just a reinterpretation of a sacred work, but an invitation to reflect on justice, identity, and the enduring power of music to confront societal silence.

Information and tickets.

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