Easter Festival Salzburg: Medal rain and a new ring expected!

Easter Festival Salzburg: Medal rain and a new ring expected!

Salzburg, Österreich - The Easter Festival in Salzburg has an impressive occupancy of 93 percent this year. Under the artistic direction of Nikolaus Bachler, this year's event, characterized by the guiding principle "wounds and miracles", took place. The absolute highlight was the performance of Mussorgski's unfinished opera, which was presented by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra under the direction of ESA-Pekka Salonen. The score was partially newly orchestrated by Gerard McBurney, which gave the performance a fresh and innovative note.

Another highlight was the award from Nadezhda Karyazina, who received the Herbert von Karajan Prize 2025 for her performance as Marfa. This year's concert program was more comprehensive than in previous years and included five programs instead of the usual three. Among the highlights were the cello concerto of Salonen and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Mendelssohn's important oratorio "Elias", which was presented by the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. In addition, an opera gala with Sondra Radvanovsky took place, followed by a late night concert that focused on Finnish tango.

diverse art offering and dance performance

Another aspect of the festival was the presentation of contemporary dance by the Ballet Preljocaj with "Requiem (S)". The combination of classical music with modern elements was demonstrated by the project "Alma. And Milk & Sugar", which combined electronic beats with Mussorgski's compositions. The return of the Berlin Philharmonic to the Festspielhaus has been announced for 2026, where they will present new productions under the direction of Kirill Petrenko.

The future plans of the festival include new productions by Richard Wagner's "The Ring des Nibelungen" and Arnold Schönberg's "Moses and Aron". The Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov was hired for the new "ring", while Christian Gerhaher will give his roller debut as Wotan in "The Rheingold". In addition, from 2026 there will be a BE phil project that invites hobby musicians from Austria and adjacent countries to develop and perform a concert program together.

strengthening the European Cultural Festival

The Easter Festival Salzburg are part of a broader movement towards large cultural events in Europe that attract spectators from all over the world. Events such as this festival are not only a symbol of the rich music culture of the continent, but also offer a diverse range of performances and performances. According to an Interswop report, large music festivals, including the Salzburg Festival and the Festival de Lucerne, are an integral part of the European cultural landscape that create a unique experience for visitors.

The Salzburg Easter Festival 2025 not only offered great performances, but also outlined a promising perspective for the coming years, in which the connection between classic and contemporary art is further strengthened. This year's festivals once again underlined the importance of these major cultural events in Europe.

For more information, visit Kleine Zeitung , OsterfestSpiele and Interswop .