Around the Music Festival

The Salzburg Festival has announced that it will appoint Karin Bergmann, former artistic director of Vienna’s prestigious Burgtheater, as the successor to the suddenly resigned Markus Hinterhäuser. She will be the festival’s first female artistic director.

Bergmann is 73 years old and was born in Recklinghausen in the Ruhr region of western Germany. She joined the theater in 1986 as a public relations officer during the time of Artistic Director Klaus Peymann, and in 1999 she was appointed Deputy Artistic Director by Artistic Director Klaus Bachler.

Subsequently, when Matthias Hartmann, Bachler’s successor, was forced to resign due to a financial scandal in 2014, Bergmann served as interim artistic director for two seasons before officially assuming the position.

She left the theater after the 2018/2019 season and, since 2022, has been in charge of the theater and literature department at the Gmunden Festival in the Salzkammergut region.

Hinterhäuser’s sudden resignation stemmed from a conflict with the festival’s board of directors. In January, Hinterhäuser told the media that he would like to see Bergmann appointed as the new head of the theater department, but this statement, made without going through the formal selection process, enraged the board.

The festival’s president, Governor Karoline Edtstadler, immediately suspended Hinterhäuser, citing a violation of the “good conduct clause” in his contract. This ultimately led to Hinterhäuser’s resignation.

The board’s appointment of Bergmann as successor is also seen as a jab at Hinterhäuser. Bergmann will steer the festival in 2026 and 2027, and a new artistic director is expected to be appointed in the fall of 2027 through an open call for applications.

PHOTO：APA　/　Erwin Scheriau