Director Haselböck's contract extended ahead of schedule

Around a week before the start of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, the contract of Artistic Director Ursula Haselböck has been extended early until 2030. This was announced by the festival on Tuesday. The Austrian stands "with her program also for the encounter of different listening experiences", it said in a statement. The original contract would have expired on August 31, 2025.

"Especially in turbulent times like these, the much-vaunted power of music can certainly contribute to social cohesion and cultural self-image and at the same time make Mecklenburg-Vorpommern shine beyond the region," said Haselböck.

Haselböck took over the directorship of the festival from her predecessor Markus Fein on September 1, 2020. Matthias von Hülsen, founding director of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, thanked the Austrian in particular for her leadership during the coronavirus pandemic: "She has managed to keep the mood upbeat," said von Hülsen on Tuesday. "The committees are very confident in her work."

Haselböck's time in office so far has included programmatic innovations, such as the introduction of the "Not quite classical" format with the "Grenzgänger" jazz series, as well as the continuation of renowned programs such as "Junge Elite".

The summer season of the Festspiele MV, which is one of the largest German classical music festivals, traditionally begins in mid-June and ends in mid-September. The opening concert on June 14 in Wismar will feature Hamburg's NDR Elbphilharmonie and clarinettist Martin Fröst.

The program includes a total of 130 concerts at 92 venues, including churches, castles, factory halls, manor houses and parks. 23 of the concerts will be performed by the Signum saxophone quartet. The four young saxophone players from Slovenia and Italy are playing a key role in shaping the festival summer this year as prizewinners in residence. Last season, around 65,000 music lovers attended the festival concerts.