Salzburg Festival 2016: New Leadership, Italian Honor, and China Expansion

The 2016 Salzburg Festival, running until August 31, marks a transitional moment with several key developments. Italian President Sergio Mattarella awarded festival president Helga Rabl-Stadler the honor of Grand Officer of the Order of the Star of Italy, presented by Italian Ambassador to Vienna Giorgio Marrapodi in the presence of Riccardo Muti after a Vienna Philharmonic concert, strengthening ties with Italy. Markus Hinterhäuser, a world-renowned pianist and former artistic director, has taken over as superintendent, succeeding Sven-Eric Bechtolf, who returned to freelance work after serving as interim superintendent following Alexander Pereira's move to La Scala. The 2017 program will be announced in November. The festival's budget exceeds €60 million, with only 25% covered by state, regional, and municipal subsidies; the rest comes from sponsors, ticket sales, and broadcasting rights. Ticket demand is double the available seats, with opera seats exceeding €400. The festival has signed a three-year agreement with a Hong Kong company to broadcast performances in China via 50 channels. The festival offers about 450 performances across eight venues in 48 days.