Dresden Music Festival under cost pressure

The Dresden Music Festival is not unaffected by the public sector's austerity measures. For the 48th edition, which begins on Saturday, the organizers have a budget of five million euros to fall back on. This is significantly less than in previous years and is also due to the fact that federal funds have not yet flowed following the formation of the new government, said Administrative Director Ulrike Jessel. Thanks to a generous donation in particular, the Wagner project could nevertheless be continued.

Historical Wagner project continues with "Siegfried"

The Wagner project ("The Wagner Cycles") under the musical direction of Kent Nagano with the Dresden Festival Orchestra and Concerto Köln has brought a part of Richard Wagner's "Der Ring des Nibelungen" to the stage every year since 2023 on historical instruments and in the context of singing and language practice at the time of the work's creation throughout Europe. Now it is the turn of "Siegfried". The third part of the "Ring" has already been performed in Prague, Paris and Cologne and will be shown in Lucerne after Dresden.

City subsidies for music festivals down

The festival is particularly concerned about the decline in city subsidies. It used to be constant at 1.3 million euros and now amounts to just under 700,000 euros. "We are preparing ourselves for the fact that the city's situation may not improve in the coming years," emphasized Artistic Director Jan Vogler. That's why we have to generate a lot of our own funds. Currently, half of the budget is covered by ticket revenues, with a further 30 percent coming from sponsorship and third-party funds.

More than 80 percent of tickets have already been sold

Reducing the program is not an option for Vogler. "We live from the concerts," said the internationally renowned cellist. If the festival was cut, sponsors would also drop out. Society must ask itself what culture is worth to it. Art can also give people a sense of direction. Vogler referred to the high level of audience interest in the music festival. Almost 39,000 of a total of 48,000 tickets have already been sold this year, he said.

Motto of this year's festival: "Love"

The current edition of the festival has the motto "Love" and begins on Saturday. However, the official opening concert will not take place until Sunday at the Kulturpalast. A total of 58 concerts are planned until June 14. In addition to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, guest performers include the NHK Symphony Orchestra from Tokyo, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. In addition to lots of classical music, the program also includes fado with singer Mariza and pop music with Ronan Keating.

The Dresden Music Festival was founded in 1978 and was already well-known before the fall of the Berlin Wall with guest performances by stars and ensembles from the West. With Vogler's directorship, the international appeal of the festival has increased significantly since 2009. The festival not only regularly hosts top orchestras from all over the world, but also renowned soloists from the fields of classical music, jazz, world music and rock.