Musical tradition: the spa orchestra in Bad Kissingen
Every week from Tuesday to Sunday, the 13 musicians of Bad Kissingen's spa orchestra delight spa guests and music lovers alike. Classical and folklore provide relaxation, but the musicians also pursue records.
Music as a tradition in Bad Kissingen
It began with an experiment in 1836 and became official a year later: The spa orchestra of Bad Kissingen was founded. Initially, ensembles from Würzburg, Meiningen, Munich and Vienna entertained spa guests with its seven healing springs during the summer months. Today, the 13 professional musicians under the current direction of Elena Iossifova, the first woman in this position, are permanently employed and can draw on a repertoire of about 2,000 pieces of music. In addition to classical music, waltzes, polkas, excerpts from operettas and musicals are heard on the Wandelhalle revolving stage.
The special spa orchestra in the Musikbad
With its 13 professional musicians, Bad Kissingen's spa orchestra is the largest permanently employed spa orchestra in Germany. In April 2012, the Guinness Book of Records committee honoured the spa orchestra for most performances within a year. The musicians completed an impressive 727 performances. Bad Kissingen's spa orchestra managed another record in July 2016, when it performed at the Frankfurt Commerzbank Arena together with a total of 7,548 musicians as the largest orchestra in the world. Bad Kissingen's spa orchestra is something very special.
Every year on the last weekend in July, the exuberant historical spectacle draws thousands of visitors to Bad Kissingen. Together they celebrate the rediscovery of the Rakoczy spring in 1737.
