Operklosterneuburg Kaiserhof Stift Klosterneuburg

The operklosterneuburg is an Austrian opera festival held annually in the baroque imperial courtyard of

Klosterneuburg Abbey Klosterneuburg Abbey or Monastery (german: Stift Klosterneuburg) is a twelfth-century Augustinian monastery of the Roman Catholic Church located in the town of Klosterneuburg in Lower Austria. Overlooking the Danube, just north of the Vienna city l ...

Lower Austria Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Since 1986, the capital of Lower Austria has been Sankt P ...

History

The festival was founded in 1993 by Alexander Hermann and Sonja Fletzberger and takes place in July and August. Since 1998 it has been under the direction of

Michael Garschall Michael Garschall (born 1967) is an Austrian artistic director, cultural manager and theatre director. Career Garschall was born in Amstetten, Lower Austria andAufgewachsen in Blindenmarkt where he followed theatre studies and at the Universi ...

. In contrast to other Austrian summer festivals, the Klosterneuburg Opera follows a moderately modern line in its productions. The directors who have worked here include Max Augenfeld, , , Michael Garschall,

Isabella Gregor Isabella Gregor (born in the 20th century) is an Austrian actress and theatre director. Career Born in Vienna, Gregor comes from a family of musicians: her great uncle is the conductor Bertil Wetzelsberger, her mother was the singer Sieglinde ...

, Andy Hallwaxx, Alexander Hauer,

Jens-Daniel Herzog Jens-Daniel Herzog (born 12 July 1964) is a German stage director for play and opera, and a theater manager. Career Jens-Daniel Herzog was born in Berlin, the son of the actor Peter Herzog. He studied Philosophy at the FU Berlin. From 1989 Her ...

, (children's versions),

Markus Kupferblum Markus Kupferblum (born 12 June 1964) is an Austrian theatre and opera director, playwright and clown. He founded the first Austrian Fringe Opera Company, Totales Theater, in Vienna and is an expert on ''commedia dell'arte'' and Mask#Masks_in_thea ...

, Matthias Lutz, and

Julian Pölsler Julian Roman Pölsler (born 1954) is an Austrian film director, theatre director, and screenwriter. Pölsler was born on the Kreuzberg mountain above the village of Sankt Lorenzen im Paltental in Styria, Austria. He studied film directing and prod ...

, , Karl M. Sibelius, , Matthias von Stegmann, . The comparatively sparse furnishings are closely matched to the existing architecture. The natural acoustics of the Abbey courtyard enable singing without amplification or other technical manipulation. For numerous soloists, a performance at the festival was a springboard to an international career. Initially, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra under Konstantin Schenk, Andreas Stöhr and

Matthias Fletzberger Matthias Fletzberger (born 1965 in Vienna) is an Austrian Classical music, classical conducting, conductor and pianist. Biography Born in Vienna, Matthias Fletzberger was accepted at the age of 5 as a student of the University of Music and Perfo ...

was the main orchestra. Since 2000, the Sinfonietta Baden (since 2017 , which has performed under various conductors - including

Guido Mancusi Guido Mancusi (born 14 June 1966) is an Austrian-Italian conductor and composer. Life Born in Portici near Naples, Mancusi was the son of the Neapolitan conductor Enrico Mancusi and the Viennese singing teacher Ines Mancusi and grew up in Naples ...

(1997 to 2000),

Thomas Rösner Thomas Rösner (born 12 June 1973) is an Austrian conductor. Life Born in Mödling, Rösner studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and attended master classes with Ilya Musin (conductor), Ilya Musin, Myung-Whun Chung an ...

(2001 to 2003, 2014), Andrés Orozco-Estrada (2004 to 2007), (2008 to 2010), (2011) and

Christoph Campestrini Christoph Campestrini (born 1968) is an Austrian conductor. Life and work Born in Linz Campestrini's international concert and opera career has taken him to orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Tchaikovsky RSO Moscow, Deutsches Sym ...

(2012, 2013, since 2015) - have been involved. The production of Giuseppe Verdi's ''

La forza del destino ' (; ''The Power of Fate'', often translated ''The Force of Destiny'') is an Italian opera by Giuseppe Verdi. The libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on a Spanish drama, ' (1835), by Ángel de Saavedra, 3rd Duke of Rivas, wi ...

'' planned for 2020 will not take place until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Austria.

Repertoire

* 1994 '' Hänsel und Gretel'' by Humperdinck * 1995 '' Zar und Zimmermann'' bu Albert Lortzing * 1996 '' Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor'' by Nicolai * 1997 ''

Gianni Schicchi () is a comic opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giovacchino Forzano, composed in 1917–18. The libretto is based on an incident mentioned in Dante's ''Divine Comedy''. The work is the third and final part of Puccin ...

'' by Puccini and '' Abu Hassan'' by Weber * 1998 ''

The Barber of Seville ''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( it, Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione ) is an ''opera buffa'' in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was base ...

'' by Rossini (among others with Carsten Süss and Andreas Schager * 1999 '' Le nozze di Figaro'' by Mozart (among others with Frauke Schäfer, Markus Werba and

Florian Boesch Florian Boesch (born 17 May 1971) is an Austrian bass-baritone, voice teacher and opera singer, who is especially known as a Lieder interpreter. Life Boesch was born in Saarbrücken, West Germany, and is the son of Christian Boesch.Barbara ...

) * 2000 '' Die Entführung aus dem Serail'' by Mozart (among others with Kristiane Kaiser) * 2001 '' La Cenerentola'' by Rossini (among others with Annely Peebo) * 2002 ''

L'elisir d'amore ''L'elisir d'amore'' (''The Elixir of Love'', ) is a ' (opera buffa) in two acts by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto, after Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's ' (1831). The opera premiere ...

'' by Donizetti (among others with

Eva Lind Eva Lind (born 14 June 1966) is an Austrian soprano singer and TV presenter. Since her international breakthrough in 1985, she specialises in coloratura soprano roles in operas and operettas, besides maintaining an active career in concerts and r ...

and Pavol Breslik) * 2003 ''

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a ''Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that inclu ...

'' by Mozart (among others with

Günther Groissböck Günther Groissböck (born 24 September 1976) is an Austrian operatic bass. Anthony Tommasini, chief classical music critic for ''The New York Times'', described Groissböck's "imposing and good-looking" portrayal of Baron Ochs in ''Der Rosenkaval ...

and

Adrian Eröd Adrian Eröd ( hu, Erőd Adrián) (born 1970) is an Austrian operatic baritone. He is the son of composer Iván Erőd. Career After his studies with Walter Berry and Franz Lukasovsky at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Adr ...

) * 2004 '' The Bartered Bride'' by Smetana (among others with

Sandra Trattnigg Sandra Trattnigg (born 14 November 1976, Klagenfurt) is an Austrian opera and concert soprano. Life Trattnigg was born in Klagenfurt in South Carinthia in 1976 and has been living in Zürich since 2005. She received her musical training at t ...

) * 2005 '' L'italiana in Algeri'' by Rossini (among others with

Stella Grigorian Stella Grigorian ( ka, სტელლა გრიგორიან; born 1968) is a Georgian operatic mezzo-soprano who trained at the music academy in Tbilisi. On completing her studies at the Vienna Conservatory, she made her début at the ...

) * 2006 '' The Tales of Hoffmann'' by Offenbach (among others with Bojidar Nikolov, Clemens Unterreiner) * 2007 ''

Fidelio ''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Op. 72, is Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera. The German libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly, with ...

'' by Beethoven (among others with Marion Ammann, Clemens Unterreiner) * 2008 ''

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; Vienna (1788) title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanis ...

'' by Mozart (among others with

Klemens Sander Klemens Sander (born before 1980) is an Austrian baritone. Life Education Born in Steyr, Upper Austria, Sander (married and stage name, born Klemens Geyrhofer) was first a member of the before going on to study solo, Lied and oratorio at the ...

, Netta Or, Iurie Ciobanu) * 2009 '' La fille du régiment'' by Donizetti (among others with Daniela Fally, Clemens Unterreiner) * 2010 ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...

'' by Bizet (among others with Katarina Bradić,

Bruno Ribeiro Bruno Miguel Fernandes Ribeiro (born 22 October 1975) is a Portuguese football manager and former player who is now the head coach at Campeonato de Portugal club Moura. A midfielder with a powerful left-foot strike, he began his playing ca ...

and Ana Puche Rosado) * 2011 '' Le nozze di Figaro'' by Mozart (among others with Zoe Nicolaidou and Thomas Tatzl) * 2012 '' Don Pasquale'' by Donizetti (among others with Marc-Olivier Oetterli, Chiara Skerath and

Arthur Espiritu Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...

) * 2013 ''Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor'' by Nicolai (among others with

Talia Or Talia Or is an Israeli-born operatic and concert soprano based in Germany. Her repertoire ranges from concert and lied to contemporary music. She is a lecturer on singing at University of Music and Performing Arts Munich, Musikhochschule München ...

, Dshamilja Kaiser,

Christian Hübner Christian Hübner (born 1977) is a German operatic bass. Life Christian Hübner was born in Regensburg, Germany. After passing the Abitur at the , he first studied architecture at Technische Universität München. After a successful participat ...

and

Patrick Vogel Patrick Vogel (* 1982 in Berlin) is a German operatic tenor. Life and career Vogel grew up in Berlin, where he lived with his father from the age of 9 after his parents' divorce. He trained as a bicycle mechanic, started classical singing the ...

) * 2014 ''Die Zauberflöte'' (Jubiläum 20 Jahre operklosterneuburg) by Mozart (among others with Antje Bitterlich, Ilker Arcayürek and Martin Achrainer) * 2015 '' Rigoletto'' by Verdi (among others with Daniela Fally, Arthur Espiritu,

Paolo Rúmetz Paolo is both a given name and a surname, the Italian language, Italian form of the name Paul (name), Paul. Notable people with the name include: People with the given name Paolo Art *Paolo Alboni (1671–1734), Italian painter *Paolo Abbate (1 ...

and Ilseyar Khayrullova) * 2016 ** '' Cavalleria rusticana'' by Mascagni (among others with Stella Grigorian,

Stefania Toczyska Stefania Toczyska (née Krzywińska), born in Grudziądz, Poland, on 19 February 1943, is a Polish mezzo-soprano of international repute. She lived in Toruń, where she attended the Music School ("little conservatory"). There, she married Romual ...

, Bruno Ribeiro and

Sebastian Holecek Sebastian Holecek (born 27 March 1964) is an Austrian operatic baritone. He has been part of the ensemble of the Vienna Volksoper since 2006. Leben und Werk Born in Vienna, Holecek is the son of the Viennese singer and folk artist Heinz Holec ...

) ** '' Der Bajazzo'' by Leoncavallo (with Eugenia Dushina, Zurab Zurabishvili, Clemens Unterreiner,

and Maximilian Mayer) * 2017 '' Le comte Ory'' by Rossini (among others with Iurie Ciobanu, Daniela Fally,

Margarita Gritskova Margarita Vitalievna Gritskova (russian: Маргарита Витальевна Грицкова; born 9 December 1987) is a Russian mezzo-soprano in opera and lied singing. A member of the Vienna State Opera since 2012, she is focused on roles ...

, Peter Kellner, Martin Achrainer, Caroline Wilson, Florina Ilie) * 2018 ''

La traviata ''La traviata'' (; ''The Fallen Woman'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on ''La Dame aux camélias'' (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' adapted from his own 18 ...

'' by Verdi (among others with Eugenia Dushina, Arthur Espiritu,

Günter Haumer Günter Haumer (born 1973) is an Austrian operatic baritone. Since 2012, he has been a member of Musical ensemble, Ensembles of the Vienna Volksoper. Life Born in Vienna, Haumer completed his education at the University of Music and Performing ...

, Christiane Döcker, Oscar Rubén Oré Alarcón, Apostol Milenkov, Alexander Grassauer, Florian Köfler, Florina Ilie) * 2019 '' The Tales of Hoffmann'' by Offenbach (among others with Florina Ilie, Daniela Fally, Zurab Zurabishvili, Clemens Unterreiner) * 2021 ''

''operklosterneuburg – La forza del destino
on Stift Kleuster Neuburg by Verdi (among others with

Karina Flores Karina Flores, also known as Karina Grigoryan, is a Russian opera singer who has sung leading soprano roles with companies in her native Russia as well as in other European countries. For eight seasons she was a soloist with Helikon Opera in Mosc ...

, Margarita Gritskova, Anja Mittermüller, Zurab Zurabishvili, David Babayants, Matheus França, Marian Pop,

Walter Fink Walter Fink (16 August 1930 – 13 April 2018) was a German entrepreneur and a patron of contemporary classical music. He is known for being a founding member, executive committee member and sponsor of the Rheingau Musik Festival, where he initia ...

)

References

External links

* {{portal bar, Opera, Austria Opera festivals Classical music festivals in Austria

History

Repertoire

References

Further reading

External links