The Schwetzingen Festival (German: Schwetzinger Festspiele, now Schwetzinger SWR Festspiele) is an early summer festival of opera and other classical music presented each year from May to early June in Schwetzingen, Germany.
In 1952, the broadcaster Süddeutscher Rundfunk founded the festival in the Schwetzingen area. It is located in a beautiful 250-year-old palace and park, Schwetzingen Castle, near the famous city of Heidelberg. The main venue is the historic Schlosstheater Schwetzingen. Nowadays, the successor organization is the Südwestrundfunk (SWR) and it organises many international concerts and music theatre events every year.
List of major premieres and rediscoveries edit
One of the festival's characteristics is the world premiere of a new opera, as well as at least one rediscovered opera from former centuries, performed on period instruments.
Concerts edit
Concerts have featured well-known artists such as Gidon Kremer, Jorge Bolet and Cecilia Bartoli, as well as young artists at the start of their careers. Singers of the caliber of Barbara Hendricks, Fritz Wunderlich and Teresa Berganza have performed at the festival as beginners and have all gone on to major careers.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Klangforum Wien, calendar entry for 27 April 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
- ^ "Rosamunde". swr.online (in German). 17 May 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
External links edit
- "Schwetzinger SWR Festspiele - Highlights und aktuelle Konzerte für Radio und Online". swr.online (in German). 10 February 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2023.