1909
Heinrich Burkard becomes Music Director to the Prince of Fürstenberg.
1913
Foundation of the "Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde" ("Society of Friends of Music") in Donaueschingen; first President Georg Mall. Since the beginning of the festival, the Society has been its sponsor in the legal sense.
July 1920
Willy Rehberg, professor at the Mannheim University of Music, proposes to Burkard that a "small music festival for young aspiring talents" be organized.
Spring 1921
Appointment of the honorary committee with Ferruccio Busoni, Siegmund von Hausegger, Arthur Nikisch, Max von Pauer, Hans Pfitzner, Franz Schreker and Richard Strauss.
1921-1923
First working committee with Joseph Haas, Eduard Erdmann and Heinrich Burkard.
31 July 1921
The first concert of the "Donaueschinger Kammermusik-Aufführungen zur Förderung zeitgenössischer Tonkunst" ("Donaueschingen Chamber Music Performances for the Promotion of Contemporary Music") not only establishes the tradition of the Donaueschinger Musiktage, but also the culture of specialist and expert festivals in general. The performance of Paul Hindemith's String Quartet op. 16 establishes his international reputation. Composers presented for the first time include Alban Berg, Alois Hába, Ernst Krenek, Philipp Jarnach, Anton Webern, Arnold Schoenberg and Josef Matthias Hauer.
from 1924
Paul Hindemith is the decisive member of the working committee; Erdmann leaves the working committee.
1925
Expansion of the programming to include choral music. Composers presented for the first time include Igor Stravinsky.
1926
Expansion of the programming with literature for wind orchestra, thus continuing the shift in emphasis to "functional" and community music. At the same time, however, there are presentations of experimental forms and instruments such as Jörg Mager's "Sphärophon"; expansion to include dance with Oskar Schlemmer's "Triadisches Ballett"; the first original compositions for mechanical instruments.
1927
Change of location to Baden-Baden; official title now "Deutsche Kammermusik Baden-Baden" ("German Chamber Music Baden-Baden"). The reasons for the change are to be found both in the restricted performance conditions for certain artistic forms in Donaueschingen, as well as in the promotion of functional music activities. Until 1929, the festival takes place simultaneously with the flagship of the youth music movement, the "Reichsführerwoche der Musikantengilde". Composers presented for the first time include Hanns Eisler, Kurt Weill and Darius Milhaud.
1928
New accents: Experimental performances in cooperation with the Society of German Film Music Composers, chamber opera/opera dealing with contemporary issues.
1929
Original compositions for radio, music for amateurs, film music. For the first time, the radio participates in the festival: the Reichs-Rundfunkgesellschaft (Radio Company of the German Reich) provides financial and technical support, and the Südwestdeutsche Rundfunk (Southwest German Radio) Frankfurt makes its orchestra available. Highlights: Der "Lindberghflug" by Bertolt Brecht/Paul Hindemith/Kurt Weill and the "Lehrstück" by Brecht/Hindemith. Financial difficulties in the city force the end of the festival's activities in Baden-Baden.
1930
Heinrich Burkard takes up residence in Berlin, becomes musical programme director at the Reichsrundfunk; Haas leaves the working committee, Georg Schünemann takes his place.
July 1930
Under the patronage of the "Rundfunkversuchsstelle bei der Staatlich-Akademischen Hochschule für Musik" ("Department of experimental radio at the State Music Academy") in Berlin, the "Neue Musik Berlin" ("New Music Berlin") festival is founded, continuing the programming trends of Donaueschingen and Baden-Baden. Thematic emphases: radio plays, experiments with recordings, didactic pieces and children's operas.
1933-1945
The marble plaque in the town hall, which was installed in remembrance of the chamber music festivals, is removed. Foundation of a music festival under the artistic direction of Hugo Herrmann, which corresponds to "National-Socialist views"; the titles of the festival include: "Donaueschingen Music Celebration", "Old and New Chamber Music from the Swabian-Alemannic Region", "Upper Rhenish Music Festival".