Speculation about Pallauf in Salzburg as the new festival president
There are 32 applicants for the office of Salzburg Festival President. The current President of the Salzburg State Parliament, Brigitta Pallauf (ÖVP), is said to be one of the favorites. The “Standard” reported on Saturday. The five voting members of the Board of Trustees will meet for the first time on November 23. Meanwhile, the former State Opera Director Ioan Holender campaigned in the “Kurier” for the post to be abolished.
According to “Standard”, the fact that a woman has a say in the allocation of posts seems to be fixed after the posts of the artistic director with Markus Hinterhäuser and that of the commercial manager with Lukas Crepaz have already been filled with men. Wilfried Haslauer, Hans Scharfetter, Member of the State Parliament, Mayor Harald Preuner and ex-Finance Minister Maria Fekter already assign four to the turquoise.
According to the newspaper, Pallauf persistently remained silent about the rumors, but could also miss a denial of the rumors, it said. As early as November 3rd, the SN wrote that the current President of the State Parliament is entering the race for the Office of the Festival President as a very promising candidate.
Apparently the former director of the Vienna State Opera, Ioan Holender, is not a friend of the Festival Presidency. “The person sought does not have to understand anything about music or theater, neither does the repertoire literature nor the wide range of actors, singers, conductors, etc.,” was his criticism in the “Kurier” on Saturday. Former festival directors wanted to abolish the office, which is said to have failed due to the resistance of the ÖVP. The “dearly paid presidential office” is limited to raising sponsorship money. Worldwide there are no such posts in opera houses or at other festivals.