Under the motto "Inspiration Haydn", the classical music concert series "Haydnregion Niederösterreich" - a project of the Lower Austrian Department of Arts and Culture in cooperation with "Römerland Carnuntum" - presents an artistically outstanding program inspired by the composer brothers Joseph and Michael Haydn from 23 March to 15 December 2024 with almost 30 events at 14 locations in 11 communities around the Haydn Birthplace Rohrau.
The concert cycle is characterized by the extraordinary flair and the special history of each of its venues. These range from baroque festival halls to the ancient Roman thermal baths in Carnuntum and the courtyard of a wine tavern in Göttlesbrunn. In 2024, the Haydn Region of Lower Austria will make its first guest appearance at the recently reopened event location Papierfabrik Varieté in Klein-Neusiedl - a sensitively renovated industrial jewel that was built in 1793 on the initiative of a Viennese wholesaler as the largest paper factory in the Vienna Basin.
Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner: "In its seventh season, the 'Haydnregion Niederösterreich' is an important pillar of the local festival scene. I would particularly like to highlight the initiative's work with young talent. The 'International Haydn Singing Competition', which will be held for the sixth time in 2024, makes an important annual contribution to the promotion of young and talented singers."
Dr. Michael Linsbauer © Haydnregion Niederösterreich
Dr. Michael Linsbauer, Artistic Director of the concert series, on the program: "The festival motto 'INSPIRATION HAYDN' shows once again how the music of the Haydn brothers forms a wonderful basis for a year-round program in the region's most beautiful locations. An excellent occupancy rate of around 98 percent in the 2023 season encourages my team and me to continue on our path in close cooperation with the region and local partners, both artistically and organizationally. The works of Haydn's contemporaries, who were inspired and influenced in their compositions by their teacher, idol or fellow composers, including Marianna Martines, Anton Eberl, Johann Nepomuk Hummel and Ignaz Joseph Pleyel, are a focal point and common thread of this year's program."
Selected program highlights 2024
Programmatic highlights include the season opening of the Haydn Geburtshaus on 23 March with a musical and discursive program about Marianna Martines - a renowned composer of the time and probably Joseph Haydn's best-known pupil, the performance of both cello concertos by Joseph Haydn by the internationally acclaimed cellist Harriet Krijgh at Schloss Petronell and in the Kulturfabrik Hainburg, the presentation of the new Haydn program including a CD recording by the fabulous crossover quartet The Erlkings, the "6th International Haydn Competition for Classical Song and Aria" under the jury chairmanship of Kammersängerin Angelika Kirchschlager and the debut of the Vienna Boys' Choir and the Vienna Academy Orchestra (musical director: Martin Haselböck) in the magnificent baroque parish church in Bruck an der Leitha.
Harriet Krijgh © Felix Broede
Virtuoso performers in 2024
Among the internationally renowned vocal soloists in 2024 are folk opera soprano Rebecca Nelsen, Daniel Johanssen - one of the most renowned oratorio tenors of our time - and countertenor Thomas Lichtenecker. Former prizewinners of the International Haydn Singing Competition such as Jakob Hoffmann, Jerica Steklasa, Natalie Weinberg and Heidi Baumgartner will also be heard on various dates. Excellent participating vocal ensembles include the ladies' quartet Spatzenklang, former members of the Gumpoldskirchner Spatzen, and the world-famous Vienna Boys' Choir.
Among the important instrumentalists are the Originalklang specialists Cornelia Löscher, violin, cellist Arne Kircher and pianist Varvara Manukyan, as well as concert organist and church musician Maria Magyarová Plseková, up-and-coming violinist and rising star Leonard Baumgartner and the internationally acclaimed and successful cellist Harriet Krijgh, who will perform twice as a soloist this year.
The Erlkings © Julia Wesely
Also performing will be the Beethoven Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Thomas Rösner, the Vienna Ensemble, the original sound ensembles Barucco (conductor: Heinz Ferlesch) and the Swiss Friday Academy as well as the chamber music formations Korngold Ensemble, Pleyel Piano Trio, Trio Frizzante, Artel Quartet, Kammerfunk, SAX Arte Saxophone Quartet and the Ensemble Wiener Cammerstyl.
Dr. Irene Suchy, Ö1 editor, exhibition organizer, author, television journalist, dramaturge, librettist and writer, and Dr. Raimund Tremetsberger, specialist in internal medicine and music enthusiast, will give lectures on Joseph Haydn's music and medical history.
Audience favorites, known from film, television and theater stages, such as Chris Pichler, Karl Markovics and Katharina Stemberger frame some concert programs with recitations, anecdotes and stories from the life of Joseph Haydn.
Guests of celebrity winemaker and PR lady Dorli Muhr as part of the "Rohrauer Gespräche" concert season 2024 are Martin Grassberger, forensic scientist and author, neo-director of "Ars Carnuntum" Constantina Bordin and award-winning author, journalist and historian Philipp Blom.
March 23 to December 15, 2024
www.haydnregion-noe.at
