* 14 March 1681, Magdeburg – † 25 June 1767, Hamburg
Georg Philipp Telemann’s life and work represent arguably one of the longest and most fruitful connections between the Hanseatic city and a composer. And although he maintained a wide range of connections throughout the world, for example with his friend and colleague George Frideric Handel in London, Telemann held Hamburg in high regard. His attachment to the Hanseatic city is evident in works imbued with local patriotism, such as the suite ‘Hamburger Ebb’ und Fluth’ or the ‘Alster Overture’.
Telemann was a restless artist, always open to discoveries and innovations. The more than 3,600 works from his long creative career encompass almost all the musical genres common at the time. In addition to the commissioned works for the City of Hamburg, the enterprising composer produced a wealth of music for a wide variety of occasions. The KQ offers an insight into his rich oeuvre and also presents him as an organiser of public concerts, through which Telemann established a civic musical life in Hamburg.
However, Telemann did not merely make a name for himself as a composer and musician: he founded the first German music magazine, "Der getreue Musicmeister", and worked as a music publisher until around 1740. At times, for financial reasons, he even engraved the musical scores onto the copper printing plates himself. Telemann can therefore certainly be described as a successful private entrepreneur.
At the same time, Telemann knew how to find a balance in his leisure hours: just outside the city gates, he owned a garden which he tended as a counterbalance to his musical activities. He enthusiastically exchanged his experiences as a gardener and rare plants with colleagues such as Johann Georg Pisendel. A catalogue documenting over 70 plants from his garden reveals, not least, the ‘love of flowers’ of this great composer.
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The Telemann Museum in the KomponistenQuartier was curated by the Hamburger-Telemann-Gesellschaft e.V. (HTG).
The aim of the HTG is to raise awareness once again of the immense contribution Telemann made to Hamburg’s cultural history in the 18th century: through events, publications and the annual presentation of the Peter Klein Prize to young musicians as part of the annual "Jugend musiziert" competition.
"In 1728, Georg Philipp Telemann paid a glowing tribute to his adopted home of Hamburg: “…because I find myself in a place where music seems, as it were, to have found its homeland, where various families count virtuosos amongst their ranks, and where many give music hope that it will dwell here forever…”. With the opening of his own museum in 2011, Telemann’s vision became a reality, and, nestled within the KomponistenQuartier, Telemann has been in the stimulating company of his esteemed colleagues for the past 10 years."
Anke Dennert on behalf of the Hamburg Telemann Society for the KQ’s 2025 anniversary
Opening hours
Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Admission fee
€11 / concessions €8
Free admission for children under 6, €2 for children aged 7 to 12
Public holidays
Good Friday, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year’s Day:
CLOSED
Easter Sunday/Easter Monday, 1 May, Ascension Day, Whit Sunday/Whit Monday, 3 October, 31 October:
OPEN 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Accessibility
The KQ’s exhibition spaces are largely accessible. The historic building housing the Brahms exhibition (Peterstraße 39) requires visitors to have a sure footing (there are uneven surfaces, a steep historic staircase and no lift).
Guided tours
You can explore the museums perfectly well on your own. However, if you prefer a guided tour, we are happy to offer you various tours. Available languages: German, English, Ukrainian, Spanish, French.
The KomponistenQuartier Hamburg (Hamburg Composers' Quarter - KQ) unites six small museums dedicated to Georg Philipp Telemann, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Johann Adolf Hasse, Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn, Johannes Brahms, and Gustav Mahler. Located on the historic Peterstrasse, one of the Hanseatic city's most beautiful streets, visitors can explore their lives and works. All of them were connected to Hamburg through family, creative periods, encounters, or professional experiences.