4 March, 2024: Our home of Grafenegg announced today that Johannes Neubert will take over from Rudolf Buchbinder as Artistic Director of Grafenegg in October 2026. Buchbinder, who has shaped Grafenegg’s artistic development since its very beginnings, continues as President of the Grafenegg Festival.

It seems hard to believe that Grafenegg as cultural centre was founded in 2007; its position on the music map as one of Europe’s best-known festival locations – “European Tanglewood”, as many like to call it – could belong to a much older institution. In a quarter of a century, it has become a world-class place of welcome for the most renowned orchestras, conductors and soloists; a nurturing hub for young musicians and the next generation of composers; and a community convinced of the life-enhancing importance of classical music. This, Johannes Neubert announced before assembled journalists at the Palais Niederösterreich this morning, is Grafenegg’s “trump card”. In today’s difficult times, full of instability, decreasing investment in music education, and where we are so bombarded by visual stimulus that we may forget to listen, we find in Grafenegg a place of continuity: in harmony with nature, with the seasons of the year, with sustainable and expressive architecture, with regional produce, and offering us the time and space to experience, practise, and share great art. Rudolf Buchbinder concurs: “From my very first visit – before there was a Wolkenturm, before there was an Auditorium – I felt that Grafenegg is a special meeting-place of inspiration and creativity.”

Johannes Neubert is no stranger to Grafenegg; he was its Managing Director until 2010, alongside his position as Managing Director of the Tonkünstler-Orchester. He was subsequently Intendant of the Wiener Symphoniker 2011-2019, and is currently Managing Director of the Orchestre National de France / Radio France. As Grafenegg looks to the future, it therefore also maintains a continuous thread and shared purpose: “a place of meeting”, as Johannes Neubert said today. “Grafenegg will continue to make it possible for stars, young talents, professionals, amateurs, artists, and audiences to meet and exchange, in special ways.”

Photos left: Rudolf Buchbinder © Lukas Beck; Johannes Neubert © Radio France / Christophe Abramowitz