Salzburger Festspiele Open With Maria Kalesnikava Address

Official Opening Ceremony at the Felsenreitschule

The festival formally opened on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. with a grand ceremony delivered in the Felsenreitschule, presided over by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen. The keynote address was delivered by Belarusian civil rights figure and musician Maria Kalesnikava. Kalesnikava, a 44-year-old flutist, conductor, and cultural manager who spent five years imprisoned in her homeland due to her activism against the regime of dictator Alexander Lukashenko, was highlighted for her dedication to human rights, freedom, and women’s rights. She is also an honorary professor at the Mozarteum University, an honorary doctor of the Arts University Graz, and a recipient of the Karlspreis.

The opening event featured actor Klaus Maria Brandauer reading a text by Max Reinhardt. Musically, the ceremony was accompanied by the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg under the baton of Belarusian conductor Vitali Alekseenok, violin soloist Vilde Frang, and the Salzburger Festspiele und Theater Kinderchor. The program included works by Olivier Messiaen, Édouard Lalo, and Lili Boulanger.

Opera Highlights, Star Casts, and Notable Cancellations

The first staged opera production of the summer arrived Sunday evening at the Grosses Festspielhaus with Georges Bizets Carmen under the baton. The festival program, themed around love selten als glückliche Geschichte according to reporting from BR-Klassik, showcases passion, betrayal, and tragic fates. The sold-out Carmen production features Asmik Grigorian making her role debut as Carmen alongside Jonathan Tetelman as Don José, generating speculation over whether the pairing might mirror legendary past Salzburg partnerships.

Another major operatic event of the summer is Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos. Pre-premiere discussions arose following the unexpected cancellation by Elīna Garanča. The mezzo-soprano stated openly that she lacked an artistic connection to the title role, allowing Swedish soprano Christina Nilsson to step in for her Salzburg debut. Alongside a revival of Mozart’s Così fan tutte directed by Joana Mallwitz and a new production of Olivier Messiaen’s Saint François d’Assise, these works explore themes of failing loyalty and unfulfilled hope.

Concerts, Spiritual Overtures, and Public Screenings

The festival’s spiritual opening, the Ouverture spirituelle, began earlier on July 17 in the Kollegienkirche. Conductor Teodor Currentzis led the Utopia Choir and Orchestra in a dark program featuring choral works by György Kurtág and Arvo Pärt. The festival also dedicates a focus to Kurtág for his 100th birthday.

For visitors unable to secure tickets for sold-out performances, the Siemens-Festspielnächte on the Kapitelplatz provide free nightly open-air broadcasts of productions like Carmen and Ariadne auf Naxos against the backdrop of the Hohensalzburg Fortress. Meanwhile, the broader festival schedule runs through August 30, encompassing over 170 performances across 19 venues and 37 youth program presentations.