ju:st Lied - Schubert’s Winterreise: A Journey into the Abysses of the Soul

Winterreise – A Schubert for Our Time An evening for Schubert lovers—and for those who think classical song isn’t for them. Nearly 200 years after its creation, Schubert’s Winterreise remains startlingly relevant. A profound journey through loneliness, longing, loss, and the possibility of hope, it speaks to the human condition with extraordinary urgency. Duo ju Lied reimagines this iconic song cycle beyond the traditional concert format. Voice, piano, movement, space, and silence become part of an immersive experience in which the audience is drawn closer to the music and its emotional depths. Performed by baritone Stefan Bien and pianist Julia Aldinger, and staged by award-winning Berlin-based director Lea Willeke, this is not a museum piece. It is Winterreise as a living, breathing journey—immediate, vulnerable, and intensely human. Duo ju Lied: Stefan Bien (baritone) & Julia Aldinger (piano) Their artistic partnership brings together deeply personal experience and musical sensitivity. Bien’s journey from a high-powered corporate career and personal crisis to the world of song gives his interpretation of Winterreise an unusual biographical depth. Aldinger, shaped by a rich musical heritage and distinguished studies in Germany and Russia, returned to art song in 2024 after several years in cancer research. Together, they share a mission: to liberate classical song from its niche and bring it vividly into the present. “I have heard Winterreise many times, but this was unique.” — Audience member