CELLO DUELLO Maintz & Schmidt: Fredericksburg Music Festival & School

Saturday, June 13, 2026 — 7:00 PM

📍 Becker Vineyards — Barrel Chai

Join us for an unforgettable summer evening in the heart of the Texas Hill Country as internationally celebrated cellists Jens Peter Maintz and Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt bring their legendary duo project Cello Duello to the stunning setting of Becker Vineyards.

Guests are warmly invited to arrive early to enjoy the vineyards, stroll through the lavender fields, and relax with a glass of wine before the music begins at 7:00 PM.

Described by the Berliner Zeitung as “cooperation rather than contention,” Cello Duello is both title and concept: a virtuosic musical dialogue between two master cellists whose artistry blurs the line between chamber music, theater, and improvisatory brilliance. Their parts are perfectly equal — themes pass rapidly between instruments with astonishing precision, wit, and spontaneity, creating what the Rhein-Neckar Zeitung called “an utter artistic pleasure.”

The ensemble was born from friendship and artistic collaboration. While studying together in the class of legendary pedagogue David Geringas in Lübeck, Maintz and Schmidt adapted Paganini’s Moses Fantasy for two cellos as the finale to one of their teacher’s marathon masterclasses — and Cello Duello was born.

Since then, the duo has appeared on stages around the world and at many of the most prestigious cello festivals internationally, including the Kronberg Cello Festival, the Cello Biennale Amsterdam, the Piatigorsky International Cello Festival, and the Rutesheim Cello Academy.

Set against the warm glow of the vineyards and the beauty of a Texas summer evening, this promises to be one of the signature musical experiences of the 2026 festival season.

Music begins at 7:00 PM

Seating is limited. Early reservation strongly recommended.

Set among the lavender fields and vineyards of the Texas Hill Country, the Fredericksburg Music Festival & School welcomes audiences, artists, and students from around the world for an evening of music, wine, and celebration at Becker Vineyards.

As the sun sets over the vineyards, internationally acclaimed artists and rising young musicians gather to celebrate the cello at the 2026 festival season with a concert that reflects the spirit of Fredericksburg itself: beauty, warmth, artistic excellence, and human connection.

Presented by Texas Cellos, the Fredericksburg Music Festival & School brings together distinguished faculty, exceptional students, and guest artists from across the United States and Europe for two weeks of performances, master classes, chamber music, and artistic exchange in the heart of the Texas Hill Country.

This concert at Becker Vineyards is designed as more than a concert. It is an experience — an opportunity for audiences to wander the vineyard grounds, enjoy world-class music in an intimate setting, and encounter the atmosphere of a European-style summer festival without leaving Texas.

Guests will experience:

• An elegant performance featuring an internationally recognized guest artist and festival faculty
• The natural beauty of Becker Vineyards at golden hour
• A gathering of musicians, patrons, students, and music lovers from around the world
• Texas Hill Country wines and a celebratory gala atmosphere
• A rare opportunity to experience chamber music and cello artistry in one of Texas’s most beautiful cultural settings

The Fredericksburg Music Festival & School was created to cultivate artistry at the highest level while remaining deeply human in spirit — combining musical excellence with hospitality, mentorship, and genuine community.

Whether you are a devoted classical music listener, a young artist, a patron of the arts, or simply someone seeking a beautiful and meaningful evening in the Hill Country, we invite you to join us for the beginning of an extraordinary summer.

Becker Vineyards

Fredericksburg Music Festival & School
in partnership with Texas Cellos

June 7–21, 2026

Hill Country chic / summer evening attire encouraged.

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Host or Publisher Texas Cellos