Peaches - artist, feminist, rock star. She has been challenging gender stereotypes for over 20 years and is on par with the icons of the pop and rock world. With exclusive private archive material and current footage of preparations and concerts of her 2022 jubilee tour “20 Years of Teaches of Peaches”, we learn how the Canadian Merrill Nisker became the internationally celebrated musician and electro-clash icon Peaches.

Hardly any other world star has left such a profound mark on people's hearts and on music history. This documentary traces the influence of an exceptional artist and follows the paths she paved for a new generation of Black artists.

The origin story of one of Italy's greatest rock stars, Gianna Nannini, who chased her dream despite obstacles from her family and the music industry.

On June 8, 2024, Oscar-winning French actress Marion Cotillard joined the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra for a performance of Arthur Honegger’s oratorio Jeanne d'Arc au Bûcher (Joan of Arc at the Stake), conducted by Alan Gilbert, performed at the Berliner Philharmonie in Berlin, Germany and broadcast live on Digital Concert Hall, the online concert hall of the Berliner Philharmonie. In the oratorio, Joan of Arc looks back on her life, her visions, and her successes during a show trial in which she is sentenced to be burned at the stake.

Hollywood film music has its roots in Europe. Three composers who fled war and National Socialism to the USA created the sound that still shapes film music today: Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Max Steiner and Franz Waxman. In the early 20th century, these classically trained composers transformed the methods acquired in Vienna and Berlin into a new American art form: film music. They balanced the relationship between image and sound and developed techniques and dramaturgical tricks to achieve the greatest possible effect on the viewer. Their influence is visible in the work of contemporary US composers such as John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith. Today, Oscar winner Hans Zimmer, Ramin Djawadi and Harold Faltermeyer continue this tradition. Their melodies are part of humanity's collective memory and reflect the combined traditions of European and American musical history. The documentary accompanies composers in their work and explores the European roots of Hollywood.

This grandiose concert, held in Krakow (Poland), brings together Hans Zimmer's greatest film scores: ‘Gladiator’, ‘Interstellar’, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, ‘Dune’ and ‘The Lion King’.

Over the course of a fifty-year career, the British band The Cure has released fourteen highly successful studio albums; but it was their 1989 album Disintegration, released during a pivotal year for Europe and the world, that would capture the imagination of so many fans.

Leipzig, December 1734: Christmas brings the Bach family together. The first snow has fallen and the children Gottfried and Elisabeth are delighted about the arrival of their older brothers Friedemann and Emanuel. The Thomaskantor has retired to his music room. Anna Magdalena supports her husband, as there are only a few days left and his latest work, the six-part "Christmas Oratorio", must be finished on time. It is awaited with suspicion by the city council and the gentlemen of the consistory, who have long found Bach's waywardness a thorn in their side and fear that, after the premiere of the St. Matthew Passion a few years earlier, the St. Thomas Church will once again be filled with "operatic" music. With the oratorio, Johann Sebastian Bach hopes that he will finally become court composer in Dresden. And, as always, he demands that all members of the family join forces to help him. But differences of opinion are increasingly delaying the completion of Bach's most famous work.

Pianist Jenny, once a musical prodigy, finds her footing in the Christian faith after serving 15 years for a murder she didn't commit. When she learns that her childhood sweetheart, once responsible for her ordeal, has become an internationally acclaimed star, the overwhelming need for revenge threatens her fragile agreement with God and her relationship with a Syrian musician who offers Jenny honest care and trust.

Jesus comes to the city with his friends. He inspires people with his ideas and not only stands up for minorities, but also rejects the existing elites. As a result, he is a thorn in the side of the religious and political leaders. The Passion is a story that could not be more topical. It is about murder and betrayal, but also about love and about Jesus, who has changed our world forever. On March 27, 2024, this exciting live event will return! The whole thing will take place in Kassel this year. The story of the last days of Jesus of Nazareth is brought up to date with pop songs.

Steppenwolf is one of the most legendary and at the same time most enigmatic bands in the history of rock music. On the border between mainstream and psychedelic underground, their song "Born to Be Wild" became the anthem of an entire generation. The new, hard sound of Steppenwolf was a stab in the heart of the "Summer of Love" and put an end to the hippie era. It is no coincidence that they were the very first band to use the word "heavy metal" in their lyrics.

To celebrate the tercentenary of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, five choreographers - Franck Chartier, Bobbi Jene Smith, Or Schraiber, Imre & Marne Van Opstal and Emilie Leriche - take inspiration from Max Richter's masterful recomposition of this great work.

The brilliant self-taught pianist Erroll Garner left his mark on jazz forever. His song Misty, which he allegedly composed between two concerts on an aeroplane, immediately became one of the great jazz standards and is still one of the most covered ballads in the world today. Who was the man behind the ever-friendly smile from the ghettos of Pittsburgh, whose talent brought him to the biggest international stages?

Rihanna's rise to global pop icon seems like a fairytale and makes her the most important representative of her home country Barbados. The film tells Rihanna's career from the perspective of her home island and traces her dual role as a billionaire entrepreneur and national heroine.

After a long time, a deaf boy meets his own father, who is a musician and does not speak sign language. Over a long weekend, both of them learn that they speak a common language through music.

On stage since she was a toddler, Googoosh has been an icon of Iranian pop culture since the 1970s. Her progressive style and raw singing talent attracted worldwide acclaim and saw her performing alongside the likes of Tina Turner and Ray Charles. But the star's career came to an abrupt halt after the Islamic Revolution, which banned women from singing in public. Googoosh was placed under house arrest, where she remained for the next two decades. Niloufar Taghizadeh's documentary, which includes interviews with the charismatic singer (now in her seventies, but still performing and advocating for women and girls) and arresting archival footage, offers both a loving portrait of a national icon and a fascinating historical and cultural record of Iran.

When the pianist Francesco Piemontesi hears an unreleased recording of the pianist and composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, it comes as a shock to him. This freedom of playing, these colors and nuances, this virtuosity, which is always presented with a smile, overwhelms him. He decides to explore what he believes he is hearing here: the alchemy of the piano.

Can a work of art remain relevant 200 years after its creation? Ludwig van Beethoven’s last completed symphony proves it’s possible.

A film that charts the artistic and personal relationship between two era-defining artists, Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (At the Drive-In/The Mars Volta), told almost entirely through hundreds of hours of self-shot footage filmed by Omar over the last 40 years.

Ten years ago, the ‘Hannover Klassik Open Air’ was launched under the motto ‘Opera for everyone’. A success story that has lost none of its charm to this day. This anniversary show presents highlights from past open-air concerts with new international singing stars in Hanover's illuminated Maschpark.

"MY OWN" is a captivating experimental short documentary music video that follows the journey of a young refugee who leaves his life and family behind to seek refuge in Venice, Italy. This poignant narrative exposes the cold reality many immigrants and refugees from non-white countries face in Europe, while also revealing how our protagonist finds solace in a new community. The unique soundtrack, crafted entirely from the sounds of his surroundings—such as cooking noises, waves, and city ambiance—adds an authentic layer to this compelling story. "MY OWN" offers a fresh and immersive take on the resilience of the human spirit.

Singin' in the Rain, Strangers in the Night, What a Wonderful World: accompanied by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by maestro Jochen Rieder, tenor Jonas Kaufmann interprets a century of great film music.

Munich's up-and-coming Superbloom festival welcomes pop veterans One Republic for a downpour of tracks in a downpour.

Senegal's Alune Wade is open to musical genres and all possible fusions. This virtuoso bassist, singer and composer has succeeded in blending genres ranging from Afrobeat to jazz. An immersive concert of sounds that seem both exotic and familiar.

Every summer, a renowned chamber music festival takes place in the small Finnish town of Kuhmo. Musicians and guests from all over the world populate the streets and enjoy nature. Only Pertte and Lassi, two retired friends, don't like the hustle and bustle and prefer to spend their time fishing at the lake and in the sauna. Until they have no other choice and are persuaded by their wives to go to a concert...

In the summer of 2023, the band Element of Crime will embark on a week-long tour of Berlin - not just a tour of various concert venues, but also a journey through their own stories and memories, a homage to their city.

Jean-Michel Jarre performed an exceptional one-off live concert event, Bridge from the Future, the opening event of STARMUS Festival. In association with ESET Digital Security, the electronic music pioneer performed live at Incheba Bratislava, Slovakia on May 12, 2024 - against the stunning backdrop of the Most SNP (UFO) Bridge. He was joined on stage by special guest Brian May. The concert was in cooperation with the City of Bratislava and is free to attend.

Originally set in the 15th century, Tchaikovsky's "The Enchantress" is updated to the present day in this innovative production. The charismatic, emancipated Nastasya, who rejects the advances of the devious Mamïrov, duly faces the implacable forces of traditional values in a society riven by divisions between liberal freedoms and religious orthodoxies. The tragic outcome engulfs everyone...

Vienna Philharmonic’s annual Summer Night Concert takes place in the unique setting of the spectacular Schönbrunn Palace Gardens in Vienna. This year’s concert focuses on popular works from the 19th and 20th centuries that highlight Europe's rich musical heritage. Norwegian opera singer and recitalist Lise Davidsen performs arias from Richard Wagner's Tannhäuser and Giuseppe Verdi's La forza del destino. The prominent Czech composer Bedrich Smetana is also celebrated in his bicentennial year. Maestro Andris Nelsons returns to conduct the orchestra for the second time.

Icelandic prodigy Laufey invites you into her mesmerising world for this edition of Sounds Like Art, where music meets the visual arts. A colourful outing to the Barberini Musuem in Potsdam, home to many masterpieces from Impressionist greats like Monet, Munch and Signac.

An electrifying performance by German band Get Well Soon to celebrate the 74th Berlinale. Every year, the German capital hosts one of the world's biggest film festivals: the Berlinale. For the 74th edition, in February 2024, the band Get Well Soon—formed around singer-songwriter Konstantin Gropper—headlined the "ARTE Berlinale Party" music event, which took place at Schwuz, an iconic Berlin club. In addition to his studio albums, Konstantin Gropper has created the music for three episodes of the German series How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast). He also contributed to the soundtrack of Detlev Buck's film A Very Bad Plan (2020). His cinematic streak made his band the ideal candidate to rock the Berlinale.

With Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, accordionist Martynas Levickis reveals the thousand and one facets of an instrument rarely given pride of place in concert halls. The NDR Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Delyana Lazarova are the perfect partners in this programme, which also includes a contemporary work by Caroline Shaw and Stravinsky's Firebird. Chapters: - Martynas Levickis - Ouverture festive pour accordéon - Maurice Ravel - Le Tombeau de Couperin - George Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue, arrangement pour accordéon et orchestre - Caroline Shaw - Entr’acte pour cordes - Igor Stravinsky - L’Oiseau de feu, seconde suite pour orchestre

A few weeks after the release of the one man show, “Lukas Weinandy: Mimikry” (made in one room, by one person, in 2023,) comes a series of unseen outtakes, deleted scenes, alternative versions of songs, and new songs unused from the special.

We Are the Champions isn’t just a Queen track, it’s the sound of victory itself. This documentary traces how Freddie Mercury’s vision of a communal anthem leapt from News of the World into stadiums across the globe, becoming the ultimate soundtrack to triumph. With Brian May and Roger Taylor reflecting on its creation, and with decades of archive footage showing fans, athletes, and nations singing as one, the film makes a case for why this towering arena ballad still rules the winners’ podium.

After 20 years the electronic band Naomi Sample & the Go Go Ghosts is on a search for a new image. This causes an conflict which ends in a full chaos.

5 short films, from 5 directors and 4 different countries on the theme of the Alter-Ego. The "Alter Ego Film Project" is inspired by the spirit of Maya Deren and her way of making films. Between double personality, secret identity, doppelgänger and impossible love we have discovered several unconventional stories halfway between narrative and experimental.

Based in Toronto, experimental combo BadBadNotGood blends seventies soul jazz, futuristic hip-hop and electronica to create a sound as exciting as it is unique. In the early 2010s, the group made a name for itself with improbable cover versions of hip-hop tracks by the likes of Odd Future and MF Doom in a jazz style. An innovative set at Elbjazz 2024 from these soundscape pioneers.

The ballet of the National Opera of Ukraine stands for ballet artistry at the highest level. The company has become a cultural ambassador for Ukraine. The ensemble presents this unique, daring performance at the National Opera in Kyiv. The centerpiece of the evening is Wartime Elegy by Alexei Ratmansky, one of the most important choreographers of our time.

Three young prodigies and their families exploring the popular and competitive world of piano playing in China.

An abstract, experimental, personal reappraisal of experiences and crises - the project was the result of an experiment.

London 1976: Between economic crises and the Silver Jubilee, something is brewing in the squats and basement clubs of West London: Punk. A promise, a new beginning. Punk meant self-empowerment, especially for the women in the scene. For the first time, women picked up guitar, bass and drums, formed bands and wrote their own songs.

A sonic, surrealist narration in which the musicians fingers’ are the protagonists. Reflecting on common hierarchies and roles of the fingers when navigating through physical, digital and sonic realms, "Pinkie" is taking a perspective of deconstructing and reassigning them towards a queer, holistic reception of playing an instrument.

ARTE welcomes international artists to some of the best art collections in Europe. American group Gossip, led by the charismatic singer Beth Ditto, engages in a dialogue with works by Lucy Raven and Yoko Ono at Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie.

A compilation of live performances from across Europe by the German electronicore band, Electric Callboy.

Although he is a highly regarded classical pianist, Francesco Tristano closes his concerts with a remarkable DJ set. With these unique performances, part classical music and part electronic, the Luxembourg-based artist proves he can stimulate both mind and body.

In memory of the countless victims of armed conflict, Patricia Kopatchinskaja presents a concert conceived as a mosaic of deeply moving music and texts from a wide variety of sources and authors. The violinist breaks down the traditional barrier between the stage and the audience.

Discover Grace Bumbry’s inspiring rise to global opera fame. Spotlighting her historic performances, the film explores the racial barriers she overcame to triumph in her 1966 performance as "Carmen."

Young Canadian virtuoso Bruce Liu displays the full range of his talent in a dazzling recital captured at the 2024 Ruhr Piano Festival.

José James, the jazz artist of the hip-hop generation, plays an hour of mellow, calming tunes at the Mojo Club, a cult venue for Hamburg nightlife.

Conductors Andris Nelsons, Klaus Mäkelä, Riccardo Chailly and Petr Popelka conduct the four movements of Beethoven's 'Symphony No. 9' in succession across Europe. An epic concert celebrating the bicentenary of the creation of Beethoven's masterpiece.

With 71 incredible concerts and more than 750,000 tickets sold, Helene Fischer's "Rausch - Die Arena-Tour" 2023 has thrilled people like no other artist ever before. ARD is showing the pop icon's concert highlight unabridged and with all the hits, thrilling acrobatics and elements of fire and water in a perfectly staged show.

Conductors Andris Nelsons, Klaus Mäkelä, Riccardo Chailly, and Petr Popelka will take turns conducting the four movements of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. This concert event celebrates the bicentennial of the premiere of Beethoven's masterpiece.