Start of advance sales for the Bachwochen - change of management coming
Advance ticket sales for next year's anniversary edition of the Thuringian Bach Festival have begun. Tickets for the 50 or so concerts have been on sale since Wednesday. The 20th edition of the festival will be the last under the direction of Christoph Drescher. "Developing a festival from scratch, giving it a profile and establishing it on the national and international market was a great challenge," said Drescher, according to a press release on Wednesday.
Drescher justified the decision, for example, by giving the festival new opportunities for development. "For me, a new phase begins after this season, in which I want to discover and am excited to see where my journey will take me."
Silvius von Kessel, Chairman of the Festival Association, thanked Drescher: "The Thuringian Bach Festival has not only managed Bach's work, but has also constantly shed new artistic light on and interpreted it in Christoph Drescher's program concept." Discussions are currently underway regarding Drescher's successor. Drescher will continue to be responsible for the festival until summer 2024, it said. The State Chancellery also regrets Drescher's departure, a spokeswoman said.
Drescher recently launched the "20fastforward" concert series during the coronavirus pandemic and introduced the "Pay what you can" ticket price model at the Bachwochen. The payment system will also be possible again in the upcoming edition, it was announced. Guests can adjust the ticket prices themselves and pay more or less.
The motto of the Thuringian Bach Festival from March 21 to April 14, 2024 is "Life". The program includes a special stage work in collaboration with the Landestheater Eisenach. The grandson of musician Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953), Gabriel Prokofiev, will provide a contemporary response to the soundscapes of Bach. In addition, the Bach Festival Arnstadt will take place for the first time as part of the Thuringian Bach Festival.
According to the festival, it has a budget of around one million euros for the coming season. Supporters include the Thuringian State Chancellery with 350,000 euros. The Federal Cultural Foundation provides 135,000 euros: The Bachwochen have been in the foundation's tuned network for contemporary classical music since 2023.
At the Thuringian Bach Weeks, guests can experience the music of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) at the composer's former places of activity. Last season, 16,300 visitors attended. The organizers are hoping for 20,000 guests for the next edition. Thuringia is known as "Bachland": the Bach family of musicians has its ancestral home in Wechmar, which now belongs to the municipality of Drei Gleichen; Johann Sebastian Bach grew up in Eisenach, lived in Ohrdruf and worked in Arnstadt, Mühlhausen and Weimar.
The upcoming Thuringian Bach Festival, known for showcasing Bach's music, will include a "Pay what you can" ticket price model, continuing a tradition introduced by outgoing director Christoph Drescher during the pandemic. The festival, with a new leadership in place, also plans to collaborate with contemporary musicians like Gabriel Prokofiev, emphasizing its commitment to both tradition and innovation.
Source: www.dpa.com
