Mission Statement

American Friends of the Salzburg Easter Festival, a not-for-profit entity, established under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code, was established in 2000 to encourage support for and attendance at the Easter Festival. Our membership was always comprised of music lovers from both North and South America. Since then, we have welcomed any and all who wish to affiliate themselves with us to become members.

The patronage system, established in 1967 by Herbert von Karajan, is included in the American Friends structure. The patron fee of $1,500 paid to our organization permits the donor to the same rights as those patrons.

Message from the President

Dear American Friends of the Salzburg Easter Festival,

I am very honored to be President of the American Friends of the Salzburg Easter Festival and the 2025 Festival is very special in many ways. This is our 25th anniversary and we are thrilled to have so many American Friends with us to celebrate this occasion. We are delighted to see our old friends and welcome our new friends to Salzburg. We will once again be enjoying the great music of the Easter Festival which helps heal the soul and soothe the mind.

The program this year is a very interesting one. We have three concerts including Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Mahler’s 2nd Symphony, as well as Tschaikovsky and Shostakovich. The opera is a new production of Khovanschina by Mussorgski.

As we have done in the past, the American Friends are sponsoring Professor Clemens Hellsburg, former Chairman of the Vienna Philharmonic, who will lecture at the Grosse Festspielhaus on Saturday morning at 9:45 on "Off for New Shores! Genius and Tragedy of Modest P. Mussorgski". The Giancarla Berti Lecture is in memory of our long-time board member of the American Friends.

The festive American Friends dinner will follow the concert on Saturday April 19th at the legendary Goldener Hirsch.

We look forward to sharing a delicious Austrian meal together.

I wish to thank our dedicated board as well as all of you, the American Friends of the Salzburg Easter Festival, and take this opportunity to remind you that our mission is to support and promote the Festival wherever our home may be. I hope you will continue to attend the Festival and support the artistry that is featured here each Easter.

With Best Wishes,
Cynthia Sculco, President

Board Members