taz Concert Column: Mongolian Horsehead Fiddles Define Berlin's Autumn Sound

In its weekly Berlin concert recommendations column published on 23 October 2026, taz culture writer Thomas Mauch opened with an arresting observation: 'The horsehead fiddle currently defines the city's sound.' He described a recent concert by the Mongolian National Theatre at the Deutsches Theater, which featured traditional Mongolian instruments — in particular the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle) alongside Kehlkopfgesang (throat singing) — with German President Steinmeier in attendance. Mauch also highlighted an upcoming show by Tuvan ensemble Huun-Huur-Tu at the Urania concert hall on 31 October, describing their music as a continuation of the same ancient Central Asian vocal and instrumental tradition. Alongside these, the column recommended Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester performing video game music at Haus des Rundfunks, the band Fluten (Hamburg School-influenced breaker guitars and spoken-word vocals) at Schokoladen, and a free G.Rag set at Lombardo Bar on 27 October. The Berlin Jazz Festival, running 29 October to 1 November, was flagged as the centrepiece of the autumn calendar. The column's unifying theme was Berlin's capacity to absorb and elevate international musical traditions.