02.08.2026

ANJA MITTERMÜLLER makes her debut at the Salzburg Festival

As part of the Salzburg Festival’s renowned Young Singers Project, the Austrian mezzo-soprano Anja Mittermüller will take on the role of the Dryad in a new production of Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, thereby making her debut at the festival.

With her warm, luminous mezzo-soprano voice and an interpretative power that brings out the finest nuances just as brilliantly as the grander passages, Anja Mittermüller ranks among the most promising young mezzo-sopranos of her generation. Following early successes in competitions and on prestigious concert stages, her debut at the Salzburg Festival marks another important milestone in her still-young career. Her participation in the Young Singers Project highlights her artistic potential and opens the door to an international audience.

Ariadne auf Naxos is one of the most extraordinary works by Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal, blending comedy and tragedy in a unique way. Director Ersan Mondtag, making his festival debut, transposes the action to a futuristic present in which the wealthiest people have left the exploited Earth and are holding their celebrations on Mars. This opens up two worlds: the original homeland and a new, exclusive refuge for the powerful. This contrast between origin and future, between loss and new beginnings, runs as an overarching theme throughout the entire production. As a dryad, Anja Mittermüller is one of the three nymphs who accompany Ariadne (Christina Nilsson) and witness her transformation from despair to new hope.

The premiere takes place on 2 August and will be broadcasted live at 20:00 at radio Ö1. This will be followed by five further performances under the musical direction of Manfred Honeck.

In addition to her appearances as a Dryad and in the public masterclasses of the Young Singers Project, Anja Mittermüller will perform on 27 August at the YSP’s traditional closing concert at the Haus für Mozart with the Mozarteum Orchestra under Leo Hussain.

Those who are unable to experience Ariadne auf Naxos live in Salzburg can watch a recording of the performance on the following occasions:
- 15 August 2026, 20:15 – 3sat
- 24 August 2026, 22:30 – ORF 2
- 16 August 2026, 20:00 – Siemens Festival Nights
- 22 August 2026, 20:00 – Siemens Festival Nights