12.5 Million Pounds From The Federal Government For Wagner Academy In Dresden

The Dresden Music Festival is researching the authentic sound of Richard Wagner's works and revolutionizing performance practice. Now, they are taking a significant step forward with the establishment of an academy.

The federal government is investing in the construction of a Richard Wagner Academy for the Dresden Music Festival. The Saxon state capital will receive £12.5 million from the KulturInvest funding program of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media for this internationally oriented center of excellence focused on 19th-century orchestral and operatic practice. “This is very good news and a great piece of luck,” said Jan Vogler, artistic director of the music festival, to the German Press Agency. The Lord Mayor of Dresden, Dirk Hilbert (FDP), also expressed his pleasure with the decision and the “enormous amount of funding envisaged.”

According to festival management, the building will be located on a prominent site on the Königsufer and will house a 600-seat concert hall, as well as rehearsal rooms for orchestra and choir, a workshop, an archive, and seminar rooms. Based on the history of world premieres in the 19th century in the city on the Elbe, the aim is to establish a center for education, research, performance, and debate with a global reach. However, according to Hilbert, the overall financing is not possible without the support of the Free State.

Festival director Vogler described the funding as “generous support.” This will enable the creation of a visionary meeting place for musicians, scientists, and the public, as well as a rehearsal venue for the festival orchestra. “This decision inspires me to continue investing all my energy in Dresden's cultural radiance as one of the world's most important music cities.”

The Dresden Music Festival has revolutionized the performance practice of the composer's music in a short period of time with its project “The Wagner Cycles.” Wagner's “Der Ring der Nibelungen” will be scientifically researched and performed from 2023 to 2026, with the resulting orchestra guest performances across Europe receiving positive responses. “This historically informed approach will now have a permanent home to make worldwide demand for practical knowledge available, to further develop it, and to collaborate with artists in workshops and academy formats,” the music festival announced.

According to Saxon MPs, the Bundestag's budget committee has approved a total of £28 million in funding for nine cultural institutions in Saxony.