In 2025, the two large medieval churches in Groningen will join forces for the first time with a series of four organ concerts. This time not with music by Bach, but with music by composers who were inspired by Bach.  

On the monumental organs of the Martinikerk and the Akerk, all the important organ works of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Robert Schumann will be performed. Mendelssohn came into contact with the works of Bach at a very early age and was immediately enthralled. Not only did he devote his entire life to the renaissance of Bach's music, but he also drew inspiration from Bach in his own organ works, without ever revealing his own identity. Mendelssohn infected many colleagues with this Bach virus, including Schumann, Brahms and Liszt. In these four concerts, Bach as 'spiritual father' is never far away.

May 30 – Erwin Wiersinga (8:00 PM – Martini Church)
June 22 – Peter Westerbrink (8:00 PM – A Church)
September 27 – Leo van Doeselaar (8:00 PM – Martini Church)
November 9 – Leonore Lub (8:00 PM – A Church)

The Groningen organist Johannes Worp went to study at the new Leipzig Conservatory in 1852, at that time the Mecca of Western music. As a composer he wanted to know everything about the new style of Mendelssohn and Schumann and as an organist he wanted to have lessons from the then Leipzig Bach specialists. As a bonus in this series of four concerts the two Fantasies for organ that Worp wrote after 1852 are played. He was the only organist ever to work in both the Akerk and the Martinikerk.