Ottavio Dantone musical director of the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music
The Innsbruck Early Music Festival (Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik) has introduced the new artistic direction from September 2023, announcing that “The renowned Italian harpsichordist and conductor Ottavio Dantone will act as Musical Director for the Festwochen from 2024 to 2028”.
This appointment is preceded by a structural re-formatting: from autumn 2023, the Festwochen management team will consist of an executive commercial director and an artistic director, who will be responsible for the strategic direction of the Festwochen. The management level will be supplemented by a musical director, appointed for a maximum of three to five years. Thanks to this reorientation, the Festwochen may have structures able to react competently and flexibly to developments and to lead the Innsbruck Festival into the future in constantly changing times.
The new artistic impulses are provided by Ottavio Dantone, the new musical director, who was selected by the shareholders after convening a panel of experts and reviewing several concept ideas.
"Ottavio Dantone is an artist of international renown and has already thrilled Innsbruck Festival audiences several times with his ensemble Accademia Bizantina. We are convinced that with his musical expertise and charisma he will give important new impulses to the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music" says Dr. Beate Palfrader, Provincial Councillor for Culture.
“For me, it is a challenge and an honour not to be missed”, states Dantone in an interview. “The Innsbruck Festival is one of the most historic and important festivals in the world, and it is the ideal situation to implement everything that represents my ideal in early music. Experimentation, research, education and a deep relationship between the musicians and the audience.
We wish good work to M° Dantone and to Accademia Bizantina, which will be resident orchestra in Innsbruck from 2024.