Tiroler Festspiele Erl Betriebsges.m.b.H.

Tiroler Festspiele Erl Betriebsges.m.b.H. is the operating company of the Tiroler Festspiele Erl, a classical music and music-theatre festival held in the village of Erl in the Tyrol region of Austria. Founded in 1997 by the conductor and director Gustav Kuhn, the festival gave its first season in summer 1998, when its programme included numerous concerts and Richard Wagner's "Rheingold". Encouraged by that first success, Kuhn added the remaining parts of Wagner's Ring cycle in the years to 2001 and presented the complete tetralogy for the first time in 2003. In 2005 the festival attracted international attention with its so-called "24h-Ring". By 2012 Kuhn had staged all ten of Wagner's major music dramas in Erl in his own productions, alongside works such as Elektra, Fidelio and Die Zauberflöte. With the orchestra he founded in 1999, the Orchester der Tiroler Festspiele, he performed all the symphonies of Anton Bruckner and Ludwig van Beethoven. In December 2012 the Festspielhaus Erl opened as the festival's second venue, allowing a broader programme with a focus on Mozart and bel canto and more than 70 world premieres. Kuhn led the festival until summer 2018; for the 2018/2019 season Andreas Leisner took over as artistic director on an interim basis, and from 2019 to 2024 Bernd Loebe served as intendant. Loebe, long associated with Oper Frankfurt, brought an extensive international network to Erl. The festival describes itself as a central part of the Austrian and European cultural landscape, presenting music at the highest level far from the major cities, against the backdrop of the Kaisergebirge mountains. It stages summer and winter seasons as well as the "Ausklang" autumn festival and an Easter festival, with international artists performing core works of the classical repertoire and music theatre, alongside a commitment to contemporary music and audience education. Erl itself has a four-century tradition of Passion plays, giving the location a strong cultural identity. The current leadership team includes Hans Peter Haselsteiner as president, star tenor Jonas Kaufmann as intendant, Asher Fisch as chief conductor and Ilias Tzempetonidis as artistic advisor, with Andreas Leisner as artistic operations director and managing director. The organisation is structured as a limited liability company (Betriebsges.m.b.H.) and operates as a private cultural enterprise rather than a listed company. Its programme spans opera, concerts, chamber music, family concerts and cross-genre events, and it maintains an active press and marketing operation, publishing season information and artist portraits and hosting press photo resources.

The Tiroler Festspiele Erl were founded in 1997 by the conductor and director Gustav Kuhn, who led the first festival season in summer 1998. The programme that year combined numerous concerts with Richard Wagner's "Rheingold". Encouraged by this initial success, Kuhn added the remaining parts of Wagner's Ring cycle over the following years, culminating in the first complete presentation of the tetralogy in 2003. In 2005 the festival gained international attention with the so-called "24h-Ring". By 2012 Kuhn had staged all ten of Wagner's major music dramas in Erl in his own productions, and he also presented works such as Elektra, Fidelio and Die Zauberflöte. With the Orchester der Tiroler Festspiele, which he founded in 1999, he performed the complete symphonies of Anton Bruckner and Ludwig van Beethoven. A major expansion came in December 2012 with the ceremonial opening of the Festspielhaus Erl, the festival's second venue. There Kuhn presented a rich programme with a focus on Mozart and bel canto, and more than 70 world premieres were realised. Kuhn led the festival until summer 2018. For the 2018/2019 season, Andreas Leisner took over the artistic direction on an interim basis, and from 2019 to 2024 Bernd Loebe was entrusted with the intendancy. Loebe, who as intendant of Oper Frankfurt saw that house named "Opera House of the Year" four times by Opernwelt, brought a large international network to the Tiroler Festspiele. The festival has continued to develop its profile as a year-round cultural institution with summer and winter seasons, an Easter festival and the Ausklang autumn festival, combining core classical repertoire with contemporary music and educational work.

• 2019

  Bernd Loebe begins his intendancy (until 2024).

• 2018

  Gustav Kuhn ends his leadership; Andreas Leisner takes over artistic direction on an interim basis for the 2018/2019 season.

• 2012

  Festspielhaus Erl opened as the festival's second venue in December.

• 2005

  International attention with the "24h-Ring".

• 2003

  First complete presentation of Wagner's Ring tetralogy.

• 1999

  Orchester der Tiroler Festspiele founded by Gustav Kuhn.

• 1998

  First festival season held, featuring Wagner's "Rheingold" and numerous concerts.

• 1997

  Tiroler Festspiele Erl founded by Gustav Kuhn.

A leading Austrian and European classical music and music-theatre festival, presenting top-level music in a rural Alpine setting with a strong Wagnerian heritage and a broad opera and concert programme.

• Wagner's Ring cycle

  Complete tetralogy staged by Gustav Kuhn, first presented in full in 2003.

• Festspielhaus Erl

  Second venue opened in December 2012, enabling a broader programme with Mozart and bel canto focus.

• Orchester der Tiroler Festspiele

  Festival orchestra founded in 1999, which has performed all Bruckner and Beethoven symphonies.

• Ausklang autumn festival

  Autumn festival with chamber music, late-night concerts and cross-genre events.

• Easter festival

  Easter programme including works such as Parsifal and Johannes-Passion.

1. 1Tiroler Festspiele Erl official websitetiroler-festspiele.at
2. 2Geschichte | Tiroler Festspiele Erltiroler-festspiele.at
3. 3Über uns | Tiroler Festspiele Erltiroler-festspiele.at
4. 4Presse | Tiroler Festspiele Erltiroler-festspiele.at
5. 5Tiroler Festspiele Erl Betriebsges.m.b.H. on Wikidatawikidata.org