Salzburg Easter Festival
Encyclopedia
The Salzburg Easter Festival (German: Osterfestspiele Salzburg) is an annual festival of opera
and classical music held in Salzburg
, Austria during Easter week. Herbert von Karajan
founded this festival in 1967 as a means of expanding the traditional Salzburg Festival
during the summer. The Easter Festival presents major productions of operas at its beginning and the end, along with works from the great orchestral repertoire at the Großes Festspielhaus
.
For most of the festival's history, the resident orchestra of the Easter Festival has been the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
, of which Karajan was music director at the time, with Karajan also serving as the Easter Festival's artistic director. The orchestra continued its involvement with the festival through the subsequent tenures of Claudio Abbado
, who became artistic director in 1994, and of Simon Rattle
, who took up the directorship in 2003. In 2005, the Festival began a contemporary music series and presentations by youth orchestras such as the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra
, directed by Franz Welser-Möst
, followed by the European Union Youth Orchestra
under Vladimir Ashkenazy
in 2006.
In February 2010, allegations of financial scandal and embezzling arose against the then-executive director of the Easter Festival, Michael Dewitte. The scandal widened after Klaus Kretschmer, a leader of the Festival's technical staff, was similarly accused, and later found severely injured in Salzburg after a reported suicide attempt. Both Dewitte and Kretschmer were dismissed from the organisation. Peter Alward was then named the new executive director of the Easter Festival.
In May 2011, the Festival announced the scheduled departure of the Berlin Philharmonic as its resident orchestra, and the departure of Rattle as the organisation's artistic director, in the wake of financial problems following the financial scandal, after 2012. In June 2011, the Easter Festival announced the appointment of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden
as its new resident orchestra, and Christian Thielemann
as its new artistic director, as of the 2013 season, for an initial period through 2017.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
and classical music held in Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
, Austria during Easter week. Herbert von Karajan
Herbert von Karajan
Herbert von Karajan was an Austrian orchestra and opera conductor. To the wider world he was perhaps most famously associated with the Berlin Philharmonic, of which he was principal conductor for 35 years...
founded this festival in 1967 as a means of expanding the traditional Salzburg Festival
Salzburg Festival
The Salzburg Festival is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer within the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
during the summer. The Easter Festival presents major productions of operas at its beginning and the end, along with works from the great orchestral repertoire at the Großes Festspielhaus
Großes Festspielhaus
The Großes Festspielhaus was designed by the architect Clemens Holzmeister in 1956 for the Salzburg Festival in Austria...
.
For most of the festival's history, the resident orchestra of the Easter Festival has been the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
The Berlin Philharmonic, German: , formerly Berliner Philharmonisches Orchester , is an orchestra based in Berlin, Germany. In 2006, a group of ten European media outlets voted the Berlin Philharmonic number three on a list of "top ten European Orchestras", after the Vienna Philharmonic and the...
, of which Karajan was music director at the time, with Karajan also serving as the Easter Festival's artistic director. The orchestra continued its involvement with the festival through the subsequent tenures of Claudio Abbado
Claudio Abbado
Claudio Abbado, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI , is an Italian conductor. He has served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, principal guest conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Vienna State Opera,...
, who became artistic director in 1994, and of Simon Rattle
Simon Rattle
Sir Simon Denis Rattle, CBE is an English conductor. He rose to international prominence as conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and since 2002 has been principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic ....
, who took up the directorship in 2003. In 2005, the Festival began a contemporary music series and presentations by youth orchestras such as the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra
Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra
Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester is a youth orchestra based in Vienna, Austria, founded in 1986 by conductor Claudio Abbado.-History:...
, directed by Franz Welser-Möst
Franz Welser-Möst
Franz Welser-Möst is an Austrian conductor who is currently the music director for the Cleveland Orchestra and the Vienna State Opera.- Biography :...
, followed by the European Union Youth Orchestra
European Union Youth Orchestra
The European Union Youth Orchestra is a training orchestra for young people in the European Union. It is funded centrally by the European Union and by a number of EU member states...
under Vladimir Ashkenazy
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy is a Russian-Icelandic conductor and pianist. Since 1972 he has been a citizen of Iceland, his wife Þórunn's country of birth. Since 1978, because of his many obligations in Europe, he and his family have resided in Meggen, near Lucerne in Switzerland...
in 2006.
In February 2010, allegations of financial scandal and embezzling arose against the then-executive director of the Easter Festival, Michael Dewitte. The scandal widened after Klaus Kretschmer, a leader of the Festival's technical staff, was similarly accused, and later found severely injured in Salzburg after a reported suicide attempt. Both Dewitte and Kretschmer were dismissed from the organisation. Peter Alward was then named the new executive director of the Easter Festival.
In May 2011, the Festival announced the scheduled departure of the Berlin Philharmonic as its resident orchestra, and the departure of Rattle as the organisation's artistic director, in the wake of financial problems following the financial scandal, after 2012. In June 2011, the Easter Festival announced the appointment of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden
Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden
The Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden is an orchestra based in Dresden, Germany founded in 1548 by Kurfürst Moritz of Saxony. It is one of the world's oldest orchestras...
as its new resident orchestra, and Christian Thielemann
Christian Thielemann
-Career:Thielemann studied viola and piano at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin and took private lessons in composition and conducting before becoming répétiteur aged 19 at the Deutsche Oper Berlin with Heinrich Hollreiser and working as Herbert von Karajan's assistant...
as its new artistic director, as of the 2013 season, for an initial period through 2017.