“The Last Rose of Summer” Brings Luncg Concert Festival to Embassy Courtyard
Berlin’s creative diplomacy meets chamber music in the courtyard of the Irish Embassy
July 18th, 2025
From August 15 to 19, 2025, the historic Mendelssohn-Remise (former Embassy of Ireland and former Mendelssohn Bank) hosted the eleventh edition of the The Last Rose of Summer lunch concert festival, bringing intimate chamber performances to the heart of Berlin.
Under the artistic direction of violinist Judith Ingolfsson and pianist Vladimir Stoupel, the five-day programme featured works by classical to modern masters, including Mozart, Schober, Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Schostakowitsch, and others. Each concert took place at 13:00, offering a 45-minute musical interlude to the public in a serene courtyard setting.
A highlight of the programme was the Irish Day on August 15, showcasing harpist Séamus Ó Flatharta and vocalist Caoimhe Ní Fhlatharta from Connemara in authentic Irish performances, linking Berlin’s cultural diplomacy to Ireland’s musical heritage.
The festival concluded on August 19 with a finale featuring the Ingolfsson-Stoupel duo joined by Ayano Kamei (viola) and Friedemann Ludwig (cello), performing works by Maurice Ravel and Dmitri Shostakowitsch, commemorating the centennial of Ravel’s birth and the 50th anniversary of Shostakowitsch’s death.
References:
- https://www.berlin.de/en/tickets/concerts/festival-the-last-rose-of-summer-irish-day-39ba4a6f-329d-42aa-bac9-479580ce39a0/
- https://ingolfsson-stoupel-duo.com/the-last-rose-of-summer
