Salzburg Festival

On 26 July 2026, Vitali Alekseenok conducted the official opening ceremony of the Salzburg Festival at the Felsenreitschule in Salzburg, marking the beginning of the 106th edition of one of the world’s most renowned cultural festivals.

Alekseenok led the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg in a programme featuring works by Olivier Messiaen, Édouard Lalo and Lili Boulanger. The musical programme also featured acclaimed Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang and the Salzburg Festival and Theatre Children’s Choir.

The music was conceived as an artistic introduction to the Festival’s 2026 programme. Messiaen’s music anticipated the Festival’s focus on the French composer, while Lalo’s works created a musical connection to Bizet’s Carmen, which received its premiere later that evening. The inclusion of Lili Boulanger brought an additional personal and historical dimension to the ceremony, resonating with the biography and message of this year’s opening speaker.

The ceremonial address was delivered by Belarusian civil rights activist and musician Maria Kalesnikava, whose artistic and civic work has become a powerful symbol of courage, freedom and the connection between culture and society. The official opening was performed by Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen.

For Vitali Alekseenok, the occasion was particularly meaningful. As a Belarusian conductor, he shared the stage with his fellow Belarusian Maria Kalesnikava, bringing together music, artistic expression and the values of cultural dialogue and freedom that lie at the heart of the Salzburg Festival.

The ceremony was broadcast live by ORF 2 and 3sat from the Felsenreitschule, allowing audiences well beyond Salzburg to experience the opening of the 2026 Festival season.