Carinthischer Sommer opens: Festival devoted to the dialogue between Orient and Occident

Political voices on the opening

This year's program is guided by the theme "Orient and Occident" and seeks musical and cultural dialogue between the two cultural spheres. To this end, the festival draws on compositions from Isfahan, among other sources, and includes works from Vienna. In this way, the Carinthischer Sommer unites geographically distant locations into a shared artistic program.

Among the defining personalities of the current edition are the singer and musician Golnar Shahyar as well as the guitarist Mahan Mirarab, who help shape the festival program. Alongside these, works by the French composer Charles Koechlin are on the program, whose music bridges the sonic world between European tradition and non-European influences.

Director and artistic director Nadja Kayali is also involved in this year's edition. Actress Petra Morzé is likewise taking part. With this mixture of internationally experienced artists and a clear regional reference, the festival pursues its ambition to build cultural bridges between different traditions.

Program and contributors

The Carinthischer Sommer is regarded as one of Austria's most tradition-rich music festivals and is firmly rooted in Carinthia. With this year's edition under the motto "Orient and Occident," the festival aims to build on this history while setting new accents. The opening, with ceremonial act and concert, marked the starting signal for roughly four weeks of programming.

The political speakers consistently pointed at the opening to the role of art and culture as a means of understanding. Fellner highlighted the bridging function, Schellhorn spoke of culture as the "niederschwelligste Form der Diplomatie," and Schaunig emphasized the "Gefühl der grenzenlosen Regionalität." In doing so, the three speakers drew a shared picture of the festival's cultural mission.

Outlook on the festival weeks

The detailed program, featuring concerts, readings, and further events, spans the coming month and carries its audience conceptually between the two poles of Orient and Occident. Tickets and a program overview are published by the Carinthischer Sommer through its usual channels. The organizers expect audiences from both Austria and abroad over the four weeks.

The ceremonial act ended in the evening hours with the opening concert. Afterwards, regular festival operations begin at the various venues in Carinthia. In this year's edition, the Carinthischer Sommer explicitly sees itself as a space of encounter between cultures.