Audi Extends Involvement in Salzburg Festival

Creativity and a competitive edge are what drives both the Salzburg Festival and Audi. This sustained and lively partnership has existed for almost 25 years. Audi has been promoting and supporting cultural activities for five and a half decades. Wendelin Göbel, Board Member for Human Resources and Organization: “Long-term involvement in cultural activities is important to Audi. We will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of our partnership with the Salzburg Festival in 2020. We are proud to continue carrying this top-quality cultural treasure into the world in the future.”

Internationality is an important element of the long-standing partnership: Last year, for example, the four rings and the Salzburg Festival presented the program for this year’s festival summer in China. “Thanks to Audi’s support, the audience that comes to the Salzburg Festival is becoming more international. 2017 was already a record year, with more than 261,000 visitors from 79 different countries,” said Helga Rabl-Stadler, President of the Salzburg Festival.

The annual guest appearance of the Salzburg Festival in Ingolstadt is another central element of the partnership. This year, a production from the festival program was performed as part of the Audi Summer Concerts once again. Together with the Capella Reial de Catalunya and Hespèrion XXI, world-class viol player Jordi Savall performed extracts from Tomás Luis de Victoria’s Officivm Hebdomadæ Sanctæ. “The guest performance in Ingolstadt stands testament to the close and fruitful cooperation between the Salzburg Festival and Audi. Audi’s support enables us to offer our audience exciting productions performed by top-class artists,” said Rabl-Stadler. The partners intend to expand their joint projects in the future.

Ever since the formation of the Audi Philharmonic Wind Orchestra in 1962, involvement in cultural projects has played an important role at Audi. In addition to various commitments in the world of music, such as supporting the Audi Young Persons’ Choral Academy, Audi also supports the film and art industry, such as the Berlinale film festival. The company also organizes various cultural events, such as the Audi Summer Concerts.