Gmunden Festival Concert

Tickets for the Gmunden Festival

Ivor Bolton – Conductor
Erika Baikoff – Soprano
Rafael Fingerlos – baritone
Munich Bach Choir (rehearsed by Howard Arman)
Bruckner Orchestra Linz

Franz Schubert (1797–1828): Symphony No. 7 in B minor, D 759 (Unfinished),
Selected Orchestral Songs
Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924): Requiem, Op. 48
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897): “Schicksalslied,” Op. 54

In its new “Festival Concert” format, the Salzkammergut Festival Gmunden is dedicated to an important musical tradition: In the future, major orchestral and choral works from music history will be performed here annually by top-tier ensembles.

The glittering opening features two seminal works by Franz Schubert and Johannes Brahms—two composers who had a special connection to the Salzkammergut region. Schubert found inspiration and respite during his stays in the region, while Brahms spent numerous summers in Bad Ischl and composed some of his most significant works there. Their music reflects the scenic beauty and spiritual atmosphere that continue to make the Salzkammergut a place of extraordinary cultural significance to this day.

The program centers on Schubert’s “Unfinished Symphony,” selected orchestrated songs, Gabriel Fauré’s moving “Requiem,” and Brahms’s poignant “Song of Destiny.” These works combine existential questions of transience, consolation, and hope with the emotional expressiveness of Romanticism, creating a compelling musical arc.

For the artistic realization, the Salzkammergut Festival has assembled an ensemble of international stature: Under the baton of star conductor Ivor Bolton, the Bruckner Orchestra Linz and the Munich Bach Choir (rehearsed by Howard Arman), as well as two internationally acclaimed soloists: American soprano Erika Baikoff (Bavarian State Opera, Munich) and Austrian baritone Rafael Fingerlos.

Together, they will present a concert evening of exceptional musical quality and emotional intensity—a festive event that impressively underscores the high standards of the Salzkammergut Festival in Gmunden and marks the beginning of a new, world-class concert series.

Tickets available at: karten@festwochen-gmunden.at or 07612/70630-12