Carinthian Summer Music Festival

Carinthian Summer Music Festival

July-August

Austria, birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is also home to this summertime classical music festival. For six weeks spanning July and August, the world's most renowned conductors and orchestras perform in various locations in the country's southernmost province, Carinthia.
The performance sites for the festival's symphonic pieces are as impressive as the roster of performing artists, which has included composer Leonard Bernstein and flautist James Galway. Ossiach Abbey, an 11th-century monastery, has remained a main venue site since it hosted the first Carinthian festival, in 1969. Ensembles play at the abbey's church and its baroque hall, Villach's Congress Centre, Glanegg Castle, as well as other scenic settings throughout the mountainous province. The Festival has built its musical reputation on the rare genre known as the "church opera."
Organizers encourage families to take part in the proceedings by offering age-appropriate events for children. For individuals looking for an academic approach, there are instructional courses and opportunities to engage in dialogue with composers and musicians.

CONTACTS:
Carinthian Summer Festival
Stift Ossiach
1 Ossiach (Stift)
Ossiach 9570 Austria
www.carinthischersommer.at