Blog entries

The first rehearsals for Verdi's "Falstaff" in Salzburg

Anyone walking into the orchestra rehearsal space at Schüttkasten around Eastertide was greeted by a pre-taste of the summer’s Festival atmosphere: from March 20 to April 6, the first rehearsals for Verdi’s Falstaff took place here for the premiere on July 29 at the Haus für Mozart. Before rehearsals resume at the end of June, the Italian stage director Damiano Michieletto also makes his debut at La Scala Milan with Un ballo in maschera – making this a Verdi year for him too.

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Save the Date - Award Concert Weekend - May 10-12, 2013

3 young conductors present 3 concerts with 3 soloists at the Felsenreitschule

Once again, the three finalists of the “Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award” will have the opportunity to conduct one concert at the Felsenreitschule featuring one of the three partner orchestras and a young soloist.

The 29-year-old Spaniard Antonio Méndez, 23-year-old Ben Gernon from Great Britain and 23-year-old Yu Lu from China were selected from 82 applicants by the jury of this year’s “Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award”, chaired by Ingo Metzmacher.

On May 10, 11 and 12, the three conductors present themselves to the public during the Award Concert Weekend, leading the Camerata Salzburg, the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg and the Munich Radio Orchestra in programmes of their choosing.

The initiative’s goal is to give highly talented young artists a decisive impulse for their further career. The award derives additional attractiveness from the public presentations of this weekend, featuring three young soloists who are winners of internationally renowned competitions.

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PoliticalSACRIFICE and SpringSACRIFICE in Focus

The leitmotif “Sacrifice” is the overarching motto of the 2013 Whitsun Festival. Etymologically, the German word Opfer, or sacrifice, is derived from the Latin offerre, which is also the root of Offertorium – the moment during mass when wine and bread, symbols of Christ’s sacrifice, are brought to the altar. The themes of redemption and hope, of sacrifice and the sacrificed have inspired great artists to create innumerable musical works. Now the Whitsun Festival brings together some of these great works on stage. 

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In Conversation with the First of Three Finalists of the Young Conductors Award – Ben Gernon

On May 10, 11 and 12, the Award Concert Weekend for the Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Awards takes place at the Felsenreitschule. Here, we introduce you to the three finalists. We have asked them about themselves, their musical development, their love for music and the final round they are facing. Three subsequent blogs will give you an impression of Ben Gernon, Yu Lu and Antonio Méndez. We start out with Ben Gernon from Great Britain, who will lead the first concert of the Award Concert Weekend on May 10, 2013 at 8:00 pm, featuring the Camerata Salzburg and Sophie Pacini as piano soloist.

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Questions for the Second Finalist of the Young Conductors Award – Yu Lu

The second finalist of the Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award is Yu Lu from China. Read here what the finale and music in general mean to him. Yu Lu will conduct the Mozarteum Orchestra with soloist Vilde Frang on May 11, 2013 at 8:00 pm.

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Introducing Antonio Méndez, the Third Finalist of the Young Conductors Award

And finally, we introduce you to the remaining finalist, Antonio Méndez from Spain, who will conduct the Munich Radio Orchestra with soloist Sebastian Manz at the Felsenreitschule on May 12, 2013 at 11:00 am. He has also provided us with interesting answers to several questions.

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Opening of the Exhibit re-rite – You are the Orchestra

Tomorrow is the big day – the long-awaited exhibit re-rite – You are the Orchestra opens at the Rauchmühle in Salzburg, as part of the Whitsun Festival. The Philharmonia Orchestra and its conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen give a whole new shape to Le Sacre du printemps as an interactive performance. Join them on this virtual journey and experience the piece from a musician’s perspective!

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Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award 2013: The Winner for 2013 is Ben Gernon

Ben Gernon from Great Britain, aged 23, convinced the international jury chaired by Ingo Metzmacher during the Award Concert Weekend at the Felsenreitschule by performing works by Peter Maxwell Davies, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven with the Camerata Salzburg.

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Experience the Mariinsky Ballet in Le Sacre du printemps

Le Sacre du printemps is featured in no less than two productions at this year’s Whitsun Festival. On the one hand, it is the focus of the exhibit re-rite – You are the Orchestra; on the other, it is the highlight of the programme point SpringSACRIFICE, featuring the Mariinsky Ballet. Experience Igor Stravinsky’s impressive score and its archaic rhythms on two occasions at the Großes Festspielhaus under the baton of Valery Gergiev.

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Storms of Applause after Norma Premiere

Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma staged by Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier, conducted by Giovanni Antonini with Cecilia Bartoli in the title role: all this and more made the audience’s hearts beat quicker at yesterday’s Norma premiere! The guests thanked the artists and team with extensive applause between scenes and several minutes of curtain calls.

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