(SF, 1 August 2022) “Raising and sparking enthusiasm for the Salzburg Festival among young people is particularly important to us. So far, children and teenagers have suffered most from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic; they deserve to experience music and the arts live, but also to test themselves and their artistic talent on stage. These experiences will remain with them for a long time, often lingering far into adult life. We are very grateful to have such active and reliable partners as UNIQA, Raiffeisen Salzburg and the Würth Group by our side, enabling us to forge ahead with this project that is so important for the future,” says Festival President Dr. Kristina Hammer, emphasizing the significance of artistic programmes for children and young people.
UNIQA Chairman Peter Humer, Lukas Crepaz, Executive Director of the Salzburg Festival,
Waltraud Rathgeb, UNIQA State Director, Festival President Kristina Hammer, Heinz Conrad,
Director General of the Raiffeisenverband Salzburg, after attending the children’s opera © SF/Franz Neumayr
Enthusiastic applause and eyes sparkling with joy were notable from children and parents alike after the new production of the children’s opera Der Teufel mit den drei goldenen Haaren, commissioned by the Salzburg Festival from Stefan Johannes Hanke. “I am a luck-child!“ Cheerful and undaunted, the luck-child travels the world and comes to a barren land: the source of the well has dried up, the golden apples have withered and the people are sad and downcast. The luck-child meets the princess and decides: “I will marry the princess” – but the king is aghast! He sends the luck-child to a certain death, but he escapes with the help of three robbers. Finally, the king demands that the luck-child bring him the three golden hairs of the devil. Courage and self-confidence, and not least the complicity of the devil’s grandmother, help the luck-child achieve success. Nine further performances for children aged six and up are still scheduled through 28 August at the Schauspielhaus Salzburg. Christina Tscharyiski directs; Katharina Wincor conducts.
Pete Thanapat in the title role of the children’s opera Der Teufel mit den drei goldenen Haaren,
which premiered on 29 July.
jung & jede*r =54 Performances at 20 Venues
Let’s play opera!
The performances between 29 July and 28 August are preceded by ten introductory workshops. Children slip into roles, play scenes, listen to music and sing. The playful experience during the workshop and the exchange with artists performing the children’s opera bring the work to life. https://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/en/p/wir-spielen-oper
The two productions WUT (for children aged 8 to 10) and Ich lieb dich (for those aged 10 to 14) give ample space to feelings of children and teenagers. Inspired by the bizarre and poetic short stories of the award-winning children’s book author Toon Tellegen, the composer Gordon Kampe and the director Sebastian Bauer make very different kinds of rage audible in WUT. The virtuoso combination of music, texts and images enables a new, surprising look at this feeling. The world premiere of this work commissioned by the Salzburg Festival took place on 20 July. Further performances through 21 August at the Schauspielhaus Salzburg.
The really big questions about love are discussed in the children’s play Ich lieb dich (I love you). The protagonists immerse themselves in memories of people and things they have loved: lemon ice-cream, guinea pigs, chestnuts, their grandparents … The play was written by Kristo Šagor; Joachim Gottfried Goller directs. The new production premiered on 24 July; further performances through 14 August at the Schauspielhaus Salzburg.
Opera Camps
In the opera camps, music-loving children and teenagers aged 9 to 17 become immersed in the world of three of the Festival’s summer operas. They spend a week together at Arenberg Castle with artists and experienced teaching professionals, concluding by performing their own interpretations of the works, assisted by members of the Vienna Philharmonic, in front of an audience. https://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/en/s/operncamps-2022
Introductory Talks for Young People & Artist Conversations
For selected performances and in conjunction with its youth tickets, the Festival offers introductory talks for audiences aged 27 and under (duration: 25 minutes). Those feeling the need to talk about a performance afterwards are cordially invited to artist conversations: young audience members get to meet artists to exchange their views on the productions in an informal setting.
https://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/en/jung-jeder/u27
The 2022 mobile productions and participatory projects throughout the State of Salzburg have concluded.
The youth programme gave students an opportunity for direct contact with musical theatre and drama. The two mobile productions WUT and Ich lieb dich were offered as school performances at Salzburg’s schools and cultural centres throughout the State of Salzburg. Furthermore, school classes could participate in project weeks, working with artists, experts and teachers creatively and in-depth on themes related to a production of the Salzburg Festival. A broad range of workshops, conversations and materials rounded out the offerings.
https://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/en/jung-jeder-at-school
https://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/jugend/partizipative-projekte
Comprehensive information about jung & jede*r, the Salzburg Festival’s children’s and youth programme, is available here: https://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/en/jung-jeder
Production photo: SF/Erika Mayer