The Austrian newspaper Der Standard reported that the Salzburg Festival’s artistic director, Markus Hinterhauser, did not respond to the Board of Trustees’ proposal to extend his contract for another year. Hinterhäuser had until noon on March 16 to respond.
The festival’s board of trustees is willing to terminate the contract with Hinterhäuser early. The final decision will be made at the council meeting on March 20.
Hinterhauser has been the festival’s curator since 2016. His contract expires in the fall.
The curators of the Salzburg Festival 2025 were upset by the interview curator Marina Davydova gave with Meduza, in which she announced a conflict with Hinterhauser.
Davydova was responsible for the festival’s drama program in 2024-2025. In her opinion, Hinterhauser neglected the drama program because he considered it a competition. Hinterhauser himself denied that he did not like the artistic policy of the drama curator.
The Salzburg Festival is one of the largest theater forums in Europe and the world.
