If the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were a child prodigy today, he would probably have millions of followers and "friend" requests on social media.

But even in the 18th century, Mozart's father Leopold warned his son against false friends — people who envied him, but also flatterers who only told him what he wanted to hear.

This year's Mozartfest Würzburg, which started this week and runs through June 22, is about Mozart's friendships.

The festival in Würzburg is the oldest and largest Mozart festival in Germany, held every year at the Würzburg Residence, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The festival's motto this year, "But through sound: friend Mozart," refers to one of his quotes, and how music was his main form of expression — and connection. 

"A true friendship requires trust and mutual understanding," says artistic director Evelyn Meining, adding that even millions of followers on social media platforms cannot replace such a relationship.

The child prodigy without friends?

Mozart caused a sensation in the mid-18th century as a so-called wunderkind. He traveled with his father through Europe for years, captivating court nobles with his talent on the violin and piano.

But there was no time for close friendships with his peers.

"Of course, the family was very focused on itself; the bond was particularly strong in the early 1760s," Meining told DW.

Even later, one cannot imagine Mozart hanging out with friends at cozy dining events. "These were more likely relationships built within a musical context: colleagues, musician friends, teachers, patrons or orchestra musicians from the bands," explains Meining.

Artistic friendships at the Mozartfest

Artistic friendships also play a special role among the performers at the Mozartfest this year.

The opening event featured friends Nils Mönkemeyer (viola) and William Youn (piano), accompanied by the Ensemble Resonanz under conductor Riccardo Minasi. Mönkemeyer and Youn met through music. They love Mozart's works, but they also wanted something more modern for their performance.

They therefore commissioned Manfred Trojahn, who has made a name for himself with modern operas, to write a new piece: "Trame lunari," a double concerto for viola, piano and chamber orchestra that facilitates an unusual combination of instruments. "Trame lunari" translates roughly as "moon phantoms."

"There are many color changes in the piece, many nuances of lighting, and that's what the title refers to," Trojahn told DW.

He appreciates the transparency of Mozart's music. "My composition should by light and transparent, just like Mozart's works," Trojahn explains.

Mönkemeyer and Youn are a well-rehearsed team. They performed sometimes extremely delicate sounds with nuance and sensitivity.

Joseph Haydn, the fatherly friend

Mozart is still considered a role model for many musicians today. He himself had role models such as the composer Joseph Haydn and Bach's son, Johann Christian Bach, whom he admired for his elegant, light music.

Joseph Haydn was 24 years older than Mozart. They developed a friendly father-son relationship, and Mozart wrote in letters that Haydn was his "dearest friend." In 1785, he dedicated six string quartets to Haydn, to whom he handed the scores, saying they were his "children."

The horn player Joseph Leutgeb was also one of Mozart's close friends. Mozart wrote humorous taunts into his scores, such as "For you, Mr. Donkey."

Mozart was also friends with Anton Stadler, one of the best clarinetists of his time. He composed a clarinet quintet and a clarinet concerto for him.

Later, as Mozart became increasingly ill and lonely, he wrote that music was essentially his only friend.

The 'false friends'?

And what about the false friends Mozart's father worried about?

One of them appears in Milos Forman's 1984 film, "Amadeus": Antonio Salieri is portrayed in the movie as a mediocre composer and as Mozart's adversary, scheming behind Mozart's back and even poisoning him.

Although this narrative has long since been refuted, it remains a popular belief. Evelyn Meining wants to dispel such clichés at the Mozartfest: "Salieri was not a vicious competitor. That's all untrue," she says. Nor was he a failure living in Mozart's shadow, but a respected court composer. "Mozart and Salieri held each other in high esteem," Meining adds.

The 'Black Mozart'

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, is also portrayed as Mozart's rival in literature and in the film "Chevalier" (2022), directed by Stephen Williams.

Born in Guadeloupe in 1745, the son of a white French nobleman and a Black slave, he came to France as a child. He made a name for himself early on as a violinist and composer.

Joseph Haydn later composed for Bologne's own orchestra. Bologne was also considered for the position of director of the Academie Royale de Musique, but racial discrimination prevented his appointment.

The violin duel between Mozart and Bologne depicted in the film "Chevalier" never actually took place. It is questionable whether Bologne, nine years older than Mozart, even had direct contact with him as a young musician.

As composers who were active at the same time and were celebrated artists in their circles, it has simply been since assumed that they were competitors, explains Meining. Even the label "Black Mozart" for Joseph Bologne only came about posthumously.

Friendships yesterday and today

The festival's "Mozart Laboratory" hosts discussions on the topic of friendship, with a focus on artistic associations and social networks. "Because, of course, we are in the midst of a revolutionary social transformation, strongly driven by new digital developments such as the internet, social media and AI," says Meining.

To counteract this, there will also be concerts held in private homes, where like-minded people can come together and perhaps rediscover music as a "medium of friendship."

Who knows, the event might lead to new friendships.

This article was originally written in German.