Our vision
Kulturhaltestelle creates spaces for artistic encounters, new ideas and collaboration, bringing together artists, festivals, education and international networks.
Mission
Kulturhaltestelle is an open platform for artistic ideas, encounters and exchange. We create spaces where artists, curators, festivals and different artistic perspectives come together, allowing new ideas to emerge. We connect strong regional roots with international exchange, creating a place where artistic collaboration can grow.
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Vision
We develop and produce festivals, artistic projects and educational programmes, initiate dialogue and bring people and ideas together. Through formats such as Kulturhaltestelle Dialoge, Spot-on and our Drehscheibe, we support artistic development, create visibility and foster new collaborations. By working with festivals, cultural institutions and international networks, we build connections across projects, disciplines and national borders.
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Values
Creativity
Diversity
Sustainability
Education
Community
Artistic Direction
Founded in 2020 by Esther Kretzinger and Georges-Emmanuel Schneider, Kulturhaltestelle has been under the sole artistic and executive leadership of Esther Kretzinger since May 2026. As Managing Artistic Director, she shapes the platform’s strategic and artistic development, curates festivals and projects, and initiates new collaborations at the intersection of music, education, and international cultural exchange.
Esther Kretzinger
Managing Artistic Director | Founder
Esther Kretzinger’s work spans artistic practice, curating and cultural production. Her long-standing artistic practice as a singer provides an important foundation for her curatorial work today. Since 2014, she has developed and produced festivals and artistic projects, with international exchange and cultural networking becoming central to her work.
She founded the Weissenhorn Klassik Festival, which is now approaching its 13th edition. Alongside her artistic and curatorial work, she gives masterclasses and workshops internationally and has served, among others, as a Guest Lecturer at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Her international work also includes collaborations such as the Giacinto Scelsi Festival Basel.
Since May 2026, she has been leading Kulturhaltestelle as Managing Artistic Director. A key focus of her work is the development of new curatorial formats and connecting artists, festivals and different artistic perspectives across borders. With freq.fest, she is initiating a new festival in Berlin in 2027 that brings different musical languages and contemporary art forms into new contexts.