Around a week before the start of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, the contract of Artistic Director Ursula Haselböck has been extended early until 2030. This was announced by the festival on Tuesday. The Austrian stands "with her program also for the encounter of different listening experiences", it said in a statement. The original contract would have expired on August 31, 2025.
"Especially in turbulent times like these, the much-vaunted power of music can certainly contribute to social cohesion and cultural self-image and at the same time make Mecklenburg-Vorpommern shine beyond the region," said Haselböck.
Haselböck took over the directorship of the festival from her predecessor Markus Fein on September 1, 2020. Matthias von Hülsen, founding director of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, thanked the Austrian in particular for her leadership during the coronavirus pandemic: "She has managed to keep the mood upbeat," said von Hülsen on Tuesday. "The committees are very confident in her work."
