The History of the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music

Innsbruck Festival of Early Music

The Innsbruck Festival, although a relatively modern event, has music that dates all the way back to early classical, Renaissance, and Baroque Europe. Since it was founded in 1963 it has been an annually occurring centre for early music excellence, experiment, and discovery. The oldest, most distinguished festival of its kind, it continues to bring brilliant musicians together every August. From well-known faces to early music pioneers, the festival entertains, inspires, and illuminates year upon year. In 2013 the festival was met with extraordinary reviews from fans of early music, but also delightful surprise from those not so familiar with this genre of music.

The music is certainly what pulls people from across the continent to the Austrian city; but there’s plenty on top of that to keep them coming back for more. A great atmosphere washed down with excellent wine and great dining experiences, including lunchtime concerts and the restaurants that line the city’s lively squares. 

Artists with big international reputations mingle with brand new voices, and you can even take a peek backstage and meet some of the performers keeping the Renaissance alive in Austria. For all of these reasons it’s a good idea to book your hotel well in advance, so you can be right in the middle of all the action and retreat to a wonderful Austrian guesthouse nestled among the mountains.

No matter what time of year you find yourself in Innsbruck’s idyllic Alps setting, there will be plenty to do. You can use the city’s tram service to see all the other delights it has to offer. The Festival of Early Music certainly isn’t the only one, and there are cultural events all summer long. Even during winter there are countless seasonal celebrations and competitions, including of course, excellent winter sports.