# Styriarte > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Styriarte > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Styriarte.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styriarte > Source revision: 1347267676 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Styriarte** (also written styriarte) is an annual summer festival of classical music in [Graz](/source/Graz) and [Styria](/source/Styria), Austria, established in 1985. It is focused on [Early music](/source/Early_music), [Baroque music](/source/Baroque_music) and music of the [Classical period](/source/Classical_period_(music)). Intended to showcase the work of [Nikolaus Harnoncourt](/source/Nikolaus_Harnoncourt) in his hometown, it grew to locations in the region and survived his death. ## History Kurt Jungwirth, as *Kulturlandesrat* responsible for cultural politics in the state of [Styria](/source/Styria), wanted to tie conductor [Nikolaus Harnoncourt](/source/Nikolaus_Harnoncourt) closer to his hometown [Graz](/source/Graz).[1] The focus of the first Styriarte was [Johann Sebastian Bach](/source/Johann_Sebastian_Bach), with Harnoncourt's [Concentus Musicus Wien](/source/Concentus_Musicus_Wien) playing a leading role. The festival was directed by Andrea Herberstein and Wolfgang Schuster, a member of the [Wiener Philharmoniker](/source/Wiener_Philharmoniker). The first festival was staged in the summer of 1985.[2] In 1987, Harnoncourt also conducted the [Chamber Orchestra of Europe](/source/Chamber_Orchestra_of_Europe). The event *Ein Fest für Haydn* (A feast for [Haydn](/source/Joseph_Haydn)) in [Schloss Eggenberg](/source/Eggenberg_Palace,_Graz) became a success with the audience. In 1988, Christopher Widauer succeeded Herberstein.[1] A year later, the baroque church of [Stainz](/source/Stainz) was the first festival venue outside Graz, where Harnoncourt conducted concerts with the Concentus Musicus and the [Arnold Schoenberg Chor](/source/Arnold_Schoenberg_Chor). In 1991, Mathis Huber succeeded Widauer.[1] In 1992, the focus changed from one composer per year to a motto. [Jordi Savall](/source/Jordi_Savall) became another internationally known conductor performing for the festival.[1] Venues of the festival were later also the *Römersteinbruch* (Roman quarry) in [Wagna](/source/Wagna), [Saint Lambert's Abbey](/source/Saint_Lambert's_Abbey), [Rein Abbey](/source/Rein_Abbey,_Austria) and other locations in Styria, including the newly opened [Helmut List Hall](/source/Helmut_List_Hall) from 2003, and the [Freilichtmuseum Stübing](/source/Open_Air_Museum_St%C3%BCbing) from 2007. In 2005, a staged production of Bizet's *[Carmen](/source/Carmen)* with Harnoncourt received international attention. From 2007, when the motto was *Wanted: Europa*, the broadcaster [ORF](/source/ORF_(broadcaster)) aired concerts live. From 2008 the festival followed the model of the [Bayreuth Festival](/source/Bayreuth_Festival) and the [Metropolitan Opera](/source/Metropolitan_Opera) in New York, offering "[public viewing](/source/Public_and_private_screening)"; the first work presented was Mozart's *[Coronation Mass](/source/Coronation_Mass_(Mozart))* with Harnoncourt in the parish church of Stainz.[3] ## Performers Leading performers of the festival have included, besides Harnoncourt and Savalli, the [Quatuor Mosaiques](/source/Quatuor_Mosaiques), Armonico Tributo Austria and [Il Giardino Armonico](/source/Il_Giardino_Armonico).[2] After Harnoncourt's death in 2016, conductors Karina Canellakis,[4] [Andrés Orozco-Estrada](/source/Andr%C3%A9s_Orozco-Estrada) and [Jeremie Rhorer](/source/Jeremie_Rhorer) appeared in 2016, sharing the planned project to present all [Beethoven Symphonies](/source/Symphonies_(Beethoven)).[5] The number of symphony concerts was reduced from eleven to seven, while the tickets sold stayed almost the same, at 33.000 for 64 events, more than 90% of the available seats.[6] ## References 1. ["styriarte"](http://www.musiklexikon.ac.at/ml/musik_S/Styriarte.xml) (in German). Österreichische Musiklexikon. Retrieved 31 August 2017. 1. ["styriarte"](https://www.austria.info/de/aktivitaten/stadt-und-kultur/festspiele-festivals-in-osterreich/styriarte) (in German). austria.info/de. Retrieved 31 August 2017. 1. ["Harnoncourt dirigiert Mozart"](http://stmv1.orf.at/magazin/studio/fernsehen/stories/289809/) (in German). Steiermark ORF. 31 March 2008. Retrieved 7 September 2017. 1. [Karina Canellakis on instantencore.com](http://www.instantencore.com/contributor/bio.aspx?CId=5119291) 1. ["Festival Styriarte / Große Fußstapfen / Aufzeichnung aus Graz"](http://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/festival-styriarte-grosse-fussstapfen.1091.de.html?dram:article_id=360913) (in German). [Deutschlandfunk](/source/Deutschlandfunk). 10 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2017. 1. ["Styriarte mit erfreulicher Bilanz"](http://steiermark.orf.at/news/stories/2787711/) (in German). Steiermark ORF. 26 July 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2017. ## External links - [Official website](http://www.styriarte.com) - [31 Jahre styriarte mit Nikolaus Harnoncourt](http://styriarte.com/styriarte/31-jahre-styriarte-mit-nikolaus-harnoncourt/) styriarte (2016) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Styriarte](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styriarte) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styriarte?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.