A festival dedicated to Franz Schubert, granting him his due place alongside Mozart and Beethoven – this was the idea behind the Schubertiade, which for the first time took place on the initiative of Hermann Prey in the small town of Hohenems in 1976. Providing an annual meeting place for music lovers from all over the world who relish exceptional performances in an atmosphere characterized not only by the beauty of Western Austria’s scenery but also by the festival’s personal and sincere spirit, the Schubertiade soon evolved into one of the most renowned podia for chamber music and lieder-singing. Clearly-defined aims and a programme composed in accordance with the termless commitment to Schubert’s work help to shape the festival’s distinctive profile.

Today, the Schubertiade is considered the most important and distinguished Schubert festival in the world, presenting about 90 concerts and registering an average of 45.000 visitors per annum. No other festival is able to offer so many outstanding song recitals in such a short period of time, while also focussing on top-class chamber concerts and piano recitals. Orchestra concerts, lectures, exhibitions and master classes given by the best singers and instrumentalists of our time add to the programme’s versatility.

Corresponding to the festival’s reputation, the list of artists who have performed at the Schubertiade reads like a “Who’s Who” of the international lieder and chamber music scene. In spite of that, managing director Gerd Nachbauer constantly endeavours to advance the careers of young musicians by introducing them to a knowledgeable and enthusiastic audience. 

As far as its venues are concerned, the Schubertiade can be said to have had a troubled history. When the festival was faced with the prospect of having to scale down its programme dramatically in the 1991 season due to the renovation of Hohenems Palace on the occasion of a regional exhibition, the decision was made to entirely relocate the festival to Feldkirch, a neighbouring town which had already hosted a substantial number of Schubertiade events in previous years. Starting in 1994, the Feldkirch concerts were complemented by so-called “Landpartien”, outings inspired by Franz Schubert’s travels, taking the audience to beautifully situated venues like the Propstei St. Gerold, a provost’s residence in the Walsertal, Achberg Castle, Lindau Island and Schwarzenberg, a picturesque village in the Bregenzerwald region, which in 2001 became the festival’s principal venue in 2001 thanks to the extension of the Angelika Kauffmann Hall. 

The refurbished Angelika Kauffmann Hall provides the Schubertiade with a venue leaving nothing to be desired. The handsome modern-style timber-frame hall overlooking Schwarzenberg’s idyllic countryside and imposing mountains not only boasts with a unique ambience but also with exquisite acoustics, praised by artists, audiences and critics alike. According to “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” the hall ranks among the three best chamber music venues in Austria, whereas “Die Welt” put it on a level with London’s Wigmore Hall. A spacious foyer with a large buffet area, a panorama terrace also serving as canopy, a newly installed air conditioning system, and an elevator facilitating access to the “Kleiner Dorfsaal” ensure utmost comfort. Traditionally, visitors gather well before the concerts start to enjoy the view, see the exhibitions at the hall, take hors d’oeuvres and a drink, and get into the right mood for the musical enjoyment that awaits them. Horn players performing Schubert duos signal that the performance is about to begin. 

After a break of 15 years, the Schubertiade returned to Hohenems, with a small number of concerts taking place in the spring and fall in addition to the Schwarzenberg events. Again, this decision was closely connected with the availability of a suitable venue, to be found in the form of a multi-purpose hall, which was built in 1913 and used as a gymnasium for more than 90 years. By renting it long-term and seeing to its thorough renovation, the Schubertiade turned the historical building into an excellent concert hall, naming it after Hohenems’ most famous citizen, Count Markus Sittikus (1574-1619), who became Prince Archbishop of Salzburg in 1612 and will, above all, be remembered for enriching the cityscape with the cathedral and Hellbrunn Castle, as well as presiding over the very first opera performances outside of Italy.

Seating nearly 300 people, the Markus Sittikus Hall constitutes an ideal setting for intimate musical events like chamber concerts and song recitals, of which more than 70 have already taken place since 2005. Arousing admiration among artists and critics with its superb acoustics and classy interior furnishing, the hall also provides exhibition rooms, an ample forecourt with a great view of the Schlossberg and a straggly garden comprising a natural open air theatre.

In financial terms, too, the Schubertiade can be considered unique. As a privately run organisation which does without any public subsidy or sponsorships, the festival has been able to preserve its artistic independence in defiance of today’s difficult situation. Since the very beginning, Gerd Nachbauer has been managing director of the Schubertiade, also taking over artistic liability in the early 1980s.