Statement on the War in Ukraine

“At no time was the will to be free more conscious and stronger. At no time was oppression more violent or better equipped.” From the opera Intolleranza by Luigi Nono.

The Salzburg Festival is deeply perturbed at witnessing the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. Our solidarity and our compassion go out to the Ukrainian people and all those among the Russian population who join us in clearly condemning all forms of military aggression.

We are explicitly committed to the founding mission of the Salzburg Festival as a peace project in the spirit of tolerance and humanity.

The Salzburg Festival is an international festival with visitors and artists from all over the world, and we are connected to them through culture and friendship.

However, we see no foundation for artistic or economic collaboration with institutions or individuals who identify with this war, its instigators or their goals.

The Salzburg Festival Directorate
Salzburg, 1 March 2022