The highlights of the Salzkammergut festival weeks

Stars who practically step in and perform together with young, up-and-coming artists: This is the mixture that makes the Salzkammergut Festival Gmunden so special – and makes it a cultural motor for an entire region. The program for the festival, which will offer 40 events from June 22nd to August 14th, was presented yesterday.

Intendant Christian Hieke dedicates the music program, this year with a focus on the composer Hugo Wolf. State opera singers Patricia Nolz and Martin Häßler will perform a Hugo Wolf song recital (July 22), Burgtheater actor Markus Meyer and musicians will examine Wolf’s relationship with the Salzkammergut (August 4). Also guests are puppeteers Nikolaus Habjan, the Musicbanda Franui and Florian Boesch, who will present their version of Schubert’s “Die Schöne Müllerin” on August 5th. A highlight are the open-air concerts of the Bruckner Orchestra in Toscanapark Gmunden on July 8th and 9th, at which Stephen Gould, Adrian Eröd and Erica Eloff sing works from Anton Bruckner to John Williams under the direction of Markus Poschner. Thomas Quasthoff is coming on July 29th with his current program “For You”.

In the field of theater there is a new production this year under the direction of ex-Burgtheater boss Karin Bergmann, this time in cooperation with the Stadttheater Klagenfurt. It is William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” in a version for three actors on the program (premier on July 15). Directed by Moritz Franz Beichl.

Sona MacDonald, actress at the Theater in der Josefstadt, plays Prospero – and is looking forward to meeting the young director: “He has humor, poetry and imagination,” she said at the presentation. “I’m curious about the younger generation.” Philipp Hochmair is a guest on July 7 with his “Jedermann Reloaded” on the open-air stage, actress Birgit Minichmayr sings nine Shakespeare sonnets accompanied by her musicians (July 26). Other focal points are dedicated to Thomas Bernhard and the young playwright Theresa Dopler. Exhibitions and architecture talks complete the program.

Record number of visitors

In the previous year, managing director Johanna Mitterbauer was pleased about a record number of 25,000 visitors, this year the budget will be increased to 1.2 million euros. The very successful Hausmusikroas, initiated by conductor Franz Welser-Möst, is particularly important to her: “We want to use this to break down inhibitions.”

Three questions for … Karin Bergmann

Head of theatre/literature, Salzkammergut festival weeks

1. Why did you choose William Shakespeare’s The Tempest this year?

I’ve made it my goal to present a world poet every year at the festival, so this year I’ve chosen Shakespeare. “The Tempest” fits our time particularly well, because the main character Prospero ultimately decides not to take revenge after his banishment, but rather to embrace humanism. Peace and humanism are the strongest goals that should move us.

2. Why did you choose the young director Moritz Franz Beichl?

He is an intellectual, musical, pictorial narrator who will develop a very poetic resolution. My goal here in Gmunden is to bring young and established artists together. The young directors also need their chance.

3. But doesn’t that mean a certain risk?

That’s our job. Art is always a risk. You simply have to contemplate failure.

• The Salzkammergut festival weeks Gmunden will take place from June 22nd to August 14th. More information and tickets are available at festwochen-gmunden.at.