July 20 – August 31
The Salzburg Festival 2023 offers many events every year. These are top-class and from different areas such as music, theater, opera, ballet and art. Established artists and ensembles perform here. The Festival also provides a platform for young talents to showcase their skills.
Opera
The program of the 2023 Salzburg Festival has many highlights. One of them is Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro”. The opera has captured the hearts of audiences since its premiere in 1786. It is about Figaro, who challenges Count Almaviva to marry his fiancée Susanna.
Verdi’s “Macbeth” is also on the program. The opera is based on Shakespeare’s drama. It tells the story of the ambitious general Macbeth. He is led on a bloody path to power by prophecies of witches.
Another highlight is Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Euridice,” which tells the Greek legend of Orpheus. He goes to the underworld to bring back his beloved wife Euridice.
© SF / Monika Rittershaus
Drama
Since 1920, it has been impossible to imagine the Festival without Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s famous play “Jedermann”. The story is about the rich Everyman who, at the end of his life, is called by God to give an account. Another highlight in the program is “Nathan the Wise” by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, written in the 18th century. The play deals with the theme of religious tolerance and tells the story of Nathan, a rich Jew who tries to bring peace to a Christian knight and a Muslim sultan.
Another highlight is “Love (Amour)” based on Bertolt Brecht, directed by Michael Thalheimer. It tells the story of a married couple who must survive in a world marked by war and chaos.
© SF / Matthias Horn
Conzert
The opening of the 2023 Salzburg Festival often begins with a church concert that offers a spiritual and reflective experience. The Vienna Philharmonic and other guest orchestras give their performances in the impressive setting of Salzburg.
Time with Ligeti is a special event dedicated to the music of Hungarian composer György Ligeti. This event offers a unique opportunity to learn about his work and his influences on contemporary music.
Chamber concerts and recitals offer a more intimate experience, allowing the audience to focus on the music and the artists’ interpretations. Little Night Music, soloist concerts and Mozart matinees offer audiences a chance to experience masterpieces of classical music.
© SF / Marco Borrelli
jung & jede*r
The 2023 Salzburg Festival offers a varied program for music and theater fans of all ages. In the music theater category, “The Child and the Magic Things” by Maurice Ravel will be performed. Also on view is “Ping Pong” by Mischa Tangian, an interactive performance.
In the acting category, “Fiesta” by Gwendoline Soublin is one of the absolute highlights, a haunting production that is thought-provoking.
The interactions at the festival are many and varied. The school program “From Abtenau to Zell am See” offers children and young people the opportunity to experience music and theater up close. There are festival sponsorships, as well as youth tickets and mediation offers, and the “Young Friends” initiative.
© SF / Marco Borrelli
