Sensation: Headlining Acts Nadezhda Karyazina and Maxim Emelyanychev Secure Karajan Prize 2025 Award
In the picturesque city of Salzburg, Austria, the annual Easter Festival is set to open with a bang. This year, the event promises a captivating blend of tradition and innovation.
The opening night will feature the unfinished opera, Mussorgsky's "Chowanshchina", with the role of Marfa sung by the talented mezzo-soprano, Nadezhda Karyazina. Karyazina, who studied at the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts in Moscow and attended masterclasses at the Bolshoi Theatre from 2010, has been making waves in the opera world since her stint with the Hamburg State Opera ensemble from 2015 to 2020.
Not only is Karyazina part of the opening, but she is also one of the recipients of the prestigious Herbert von Karajan Award. Established in 2017 by Karajan's widow, Eliette, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Easter Festival, the award is presented annually to rising artists. This year, Karyazina and conductor Maxim Emelyanychev were honoured with the award, which carries a total value of 50,000 euros.
Emelyanychev, who hails from Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, studied piano and conducting in his hometown before entering a class at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. His career has seen him conduct the Mahler Chamber Orchestra in this year's Choral Concert II and serve as the chief conductor of the historically informed orchestra Il Pomo d'Oro. From 2025/26, he will also be the principal guest conductor of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
The opening of the Easter Festival in Salzburg in 2025 is not just about the established stars, though. The Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award, an annual award given to promising young conductors, is also set to be presented during the festival. The finalists for this year's award are Jong-Jie Yin, Christian Blex, and Jakub Przybycień. While the official recipient and detailed recognition of their notable achievements are pending following the final decision after early August 2025, these young conductors have already made a significant impact.
Jong-Jie Yin, the Assistant Conductor of the China National Symphony Orchestra, is notable for his professional experience at only 24 years old. Jakub Przybycień also garnered attention as one of the finalists, having opened the Award concerts on August 1, 2025. Christian Blex’s specific achievements are less documented in the available results, but his inclusion as a finalist speaks volumes about his promise.
The opening of the Easter Festival in Salzburg in 2025 promises to be a spectacle, featuring a mix of reconstruction, new creation, and sound experiment. Esa-Pekka Salonen and Simon McBurney are also involved in the opening, adding to the festival's prestige. With such a strong lineup, the 2025 Easter Festival in Salzburg is sure to be an unforgettable event.
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The talented mezzo-soprano, Nadezhda Karyazina, will entertain audiences with her captivating performance of Mussorgsky's "Chowanshchina" during the opening night of the Easter Festival in Salzburg, Austria. With her extensive background in opera, Karyazina, who has studied at renowned institutions and performed with prestigious ensembles, will contribute significantly to this year's blend of tradition and innovation in music.
