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SF/Lydia Gorges
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I have just received the following from the Salzburg Festival.
Salzburg Festival’s directorate – President Helga Rabl-Stadler, Artistic Director Markus Hinterhäuser and Executive Director Lukas Crepaz – comments on initial announcements by Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler and Federal Minister Rudolf Anschober, according to which regulations for cultural events are to be gradually loosened in significant ways from June onwards. According to their statements, in August events with up to 1,000 audience members may be possible if the presenter in question presents an adequate security concept.
Salzburg Festival’s directorate – President Helga Rabl-Stadler, Artistic Director Markus Hinterhäuser and Executive Director Lukas Crepaz – comments on initial announcements by Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler and Federal Minister Rudolf Anschober, according to which regulations for cultural events are to be gradually loosened in significant ways from June onwards. According to their statements, in August events with up to 1,000 audience members may be possible if the presenter in question presents an adequate security concept.
The Salzburg
Festival is pleased that after long weeks without live events, this means that
artists can once again invite their audiences to experience art together.
What exactly
will become possible can only be explored after the ordinance has been
published. After all, the old saying that “the devil is in the detail” applies
particularly to the current situation. In particular, clarification is needed
on the conditions under which stage rehearsals and performances by orchestras
and choruses will be permissible.
The only
thing that is certain is that the new health regulations mean that the Festival
cannot take place as planned before the outbreak of the pandemic, both in terms
of programming and duration. Therefore, the Festival will present an
alternative for this extremely challenging year to the Supervisory Board on 25
May 2020. A modified Festival seems possible.
The Festival
aims to publish the newly arranged programme for the summer in early June.
Details on the further procedure for tickets previously purchased will be
communicated to all our customers shortly and will also be published on our
website.
This
demonstrates that the directorate was justified to pursue a strategy of not
cancelling the Festival too early, but waiting and observing the development of
the pandemic, setting 30 May as the goal for decision-making.
The Festival
is optimistic that despite the coronavirus, it will be able to send a strong
signal for the power of the arts, especially in difficult times.
