“Many victims”
Hinterhäuser leaves the Salzburg Festival immediately
A bombshell at the Salzburg Festival! Following a conflict that has been simmering for some time between the festival’s board of trustees and artistic director Markus Hinterhäuser, a far-reaching decision was reached on Thursday. The German magazine Der Spiegel also reports on serious allegations made by former female employees.
As the “Krone” has learned, Hinterhäuser is to leave the festival immediately. This is the result of confidential discussions between the lawyers of the Board of Trustees and the long-time artistic director. The parties to the conflict have agreed to maintain absolute silence regarding the background, details, and the amount of any severance package.
However, a report by the German magazine “Der Spiegel” has recently surfaced, in which former female employees describe harassment by the artistic director. Hinterhäuser is narcissistic, the report states; he cannot handle pressure and acts out his mood swings uncontrollably. “He yells at people, runs out of the room, runs back in, keeps yelling, and uses foul language,” the anonymous source tellsthe magazine. And: In this case, there is “only one perpetrator and many victims.”
Suspended until the end of his contract due to “differences”
“Due to irreconcilable differences of opinion and disagreements, the Salzburg Festival and Artistic Director Markus Hinterhäuser are parting ways effective immediately,” the festival stated officially. It was mutually agreed that Hinterhäuser will be on leave until the end of his current contract—that is, September 30, 2026.
For legal reasons, it is not possible at this time to speculate on the events that led to this ultimately surprising decision. Recently, there had been repeated talk that Hinterhäuser allegedly failed to meet the “good conduct” requirement stipulated in the contract extension—tailored specifically for him under former Governor Wilfried Haslauer—which was set to run until 2029 or 2031.
This Year’s Program Secured
The Salzburg Festival has thus lost its artistic director three and a half months before the opening. However, this year’s program has already been finalized for a year. Preparations for the 2027 festival are reportedly already well advanced. For the time being, however, President Kristina Hammer and Commercial Director Lukas Crepaz must lead the festival on their own.
Intensive discussions are reportedly already underway regarding an interim director. Among others, Nikolaus Bachler, the head of the Easter Festival, is being considered for this role. The calls for applications for the presidency and the artistic directorship are expected to be issued shortly.
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