“A wonderful work!!!!”

On July 28 and 31, the Vienna Philharmonic will play the first Philharmonic Concert of this year’s Salzburg Festival under the baton of Pierre Boulez. The conductor, who has enjoyed a close working relationship for almost 40 years with the orchestra, has selected a moving program centering on Gustav Mahler, whose anniversary is this year and who is at the center of the concert programming of the 2011 Festival season, with his own series, the Mahler Scenes, dedicated to him.

In conversation with Wolfgang Schaufler, Pierre Boulez recounts his earliest experiences with Mahler and his very personal approach to the work of this composer, who was so seminal for 20^th century music.

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Riccardo Muti Awarded Birgit Nilsson Prize 2011

The Swedish Birgit Nilsson Foundation has announced that conductor Riccardo Muti has been awarded the world’s highest cash prize in the music field: the Birgit Nilsson Prize 2011. In a first reaction, the conductor professed himself “deeply touched. For 40 years, Riccardo Muti has enjoyed a close cooperation with the Salzburg Festival. This year, he is one of the busiest artists of the Festival.

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