Why Hamburg is the perfect city for music lovers

The Elbphilharmonie opened in 2017 and has since become a much-praised landmark — and concert venue — in the city. The architecture alone is spectacular. Its base is made of bricks from what was once the largest warehouse in the port of Hamburg, while the sky and water are reflected in the whimsical glass top. But there's more to this building than eye-catching architecture.

The concert hall is a feast for the eyes and ears. Top orchestras and renowned soloists from all over the world come to Hamburg to perform in the impressive space. The demand for seats is high, so it's not always easy to score a ticket. Fortunately, Hamburg is full of music and there are plenty of alternatives.

Long before the Elbphilharmonie, the Laeiszhalle, named after its patron and shipowner Carl Laeisz, was Hamburg's go-to spot for classical music concerts. When it opened in 1908, it was hailed as one of the most beautiful concert halls in Europe. These days, it still has plenty of charm and is the place where the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra performs.

Twice a day, except Sunday, a trumpeter plays a chorale from the high tower of the church of St. Michael's in Hamburg. This follows a more than 300-year-old tradition that began long before there were concert halls or opera houses; when musical life took place primarily in churches. St. Michael's, lovingly nicknamed Michel, is Hamburg's most iconic church.

St. Michael's is equipped with six organs, which are played every day at noon as part of a prayer service. Over the centuries, prominent music directors have worked there, too, including Baroque composers Georg Philipp Telemann and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. Fun fact: Bach's grave is located in the church's crypt.

Hamburg was also home to famous classical music composers, such as Johannes Brahms, born in 1833. At the age of 7, he started taking piano lessons and at 15 performed for the first time in front of an audience in Hamburg. Later, he went to Vienna, where he gained international fame. The Romantic period wunderkind is best known for composing the Hungarian Dances, among other works.

The Brahms Museum is part of the Composers' Quarter, which consists of six museums where you can learn about famous musicians who worked in Hamburg. Composers in the spotlight include siblings Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn, and Gustav Mahler, who worked for six years as chief conductor at the Hamburg Stadttheater. Like Brahms, Mahler also went to Vienna later in his career and became a star.

Hamburg is also where The Beatles got their start. From 1960 to 1962, the then-unknown cover band from Liverpool played more than a thousand times in the clubs around the Reeperbahn red light district, including at the Star Club (pictured). It was here they developed their style and wrote their first original compositions before they became a sensation and went on tour in 1963.

Today, the music clubs of the Reeperbahn still host live acts. A great time of year to see what's on offer is during September when Reeperbahn Festival takes place in the St. Pauli district. Hundreds of bands and artists from around the world play over four days, bringing pop, rock, indie, folk and electronic music to the city. In 2019, there were about 600 concerts and more than 50,000 visitors.

Hamburg is the world's third-largest metropolis when it comes to musicals — after New York and London. All the big hits have been or can be seen here at its four large stage theaters, from "Cats" to "Harry Potter." So what's the conclusion? Music lovers have plenty to choose from in Hamburg, from rock concerts to organ performances. There's something for everyone!