The Successful History of the Friends

In 1961, Festival President Bernhard Paumgartner assembled Festival fans from around the world in order to secure ongoing moral and financial support for the Salzburg Festival: the Association of Friends was born. The occasion was the opening of the Großes Festspielhaus in July of 1960: from that time, the Salzburg Festival had 2,000 places more to offer.

It was an idea that worked: today, the Friends have 1,800 patrons and 2,800 regular members. In addition, there are 3,000 subscribers to the newsletter Informationen, published by the Friends. Informationen appears three times a year in German and English. During the Festival, the Friends’ summer program offers introductory lectures, artist conversations and visits to exhibitions.

Since August 1999, KR Heinrich Spängler has been the President of the Friends. Heinrich Spängler hails from one of the oldest families in Salzburg – the Bankhaus Spängler is Austria’s oldest bank – and his education in London, Paris and New York made him the ideal candidate for president of an international association. President Spängler’s main focus is the acquisition of patrons and supporters for the Salzburg Festival. Patrons contribute an annual amount of € 1,000, a sum that is tax-deductible in Germany, the USA and Great Britain, where independent associations of Friends exist. Besides the benefits of priority booking, the use of the Fördererlounge (Patrons’ Lounge) during the Festival, and a gift for patrons, patrons have access to designated rehearsals.

Every year, the Friends contribute to the annual operating costs – a sum of 2 million Euros – and support special projects: a total contribution of 5% of the Festival’s budget.

Membership in the Silver Club and Golden Club is a very attractive offer. Members of the Silver Club pay an annual membership fee of 10,000 Euros, members of the Golden Club contribute an annual fee of 50,000 Euros. In return, they receive membership benefits and furthermore, an invitation to the Festival’s Opening Ceremony, advance delivery of the evening’s program books and reserved seating for performances with general admission.

Such additional donations allow the Friends to support Festival projects in addition to the annual operating funds: in 2011, the Festival Chronicle and the production of Wolfgang Rihm’s opera Dionysos.

Since November of 2009, the Friends have supported the Salzburg Festival in raising funds for construction projects. The damaged roof of the Felsenreitschule needs to be repaired, with work starting in September of 2010 and scheduled for completion in May of 2011. The costs are estimated at 5 million Euros, and the Friends want to contribute with more than 1 million Euros of this sum.

Thus, the Friends of the Salzburg Festival are our greatest sponsor. Thousands of Friends all over the world support us through their attendance and their financial donations. To all of them, we give thanks!

The Friends’ office is located at Mönchsberg 1, accessible by elevator from Toscaninihof, and is open from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 1 pm. Phone: 0043-662-8045-284

Further information concerning membership in the Friends of the Festival is available at www.festspielfreunde.at.