Music Festival – Hardig: Small town offers great choral singing

“This summer, as part of the Lower Austria Waldviertel Region Festival, we would like to cordially invite you to our music festival for the first time in the middle of the Theatal National Park around Hardeg,” said Daniel Mok and his wife Caroline.

The start of the series of events raises the bar from the very beginning: it begins on Saturday 3 June, with the world premiere of a specially composed ‘National Park Symphony’ with choir and orchestra in the evening (7.30pm) at National Park House Hardig. Daniel Mack will conduct the Waldwertler Symphonycker, which will perform its world premiere. Before that there will be a free “Styrian Harmonica Workshop” at the Kaja Festival with Michael Orr – who will be performing in the evening as a soloist.

14 choirs sing in Thaya

Another song festival will take place on June 25th: this is where the big song festival will take place with 14 choirs from Waldviertel, Weinviertel and the neighboring Czech Republic. Caroline Schöbinger-Muck, in charge of artistic direction, is sure: “We’ll bring Hardig to life.”

With this festival, the Hardiger Singing Ensemble revives the tradition of the Hardeger Singers Festival. In keeping with the title of the event, “Singing on the Althaea,” the choirs arrived first at the castle. A procession leading singers with music through the city to Thaia. There, in Thayabrücke, the open singing of guest choirs takes place. Starting at three in the afternoon, concerts are held in the “Alten Badeplatz”.

In bad weather, the choir and audience move to Hardeg’s parish church. “Small town, but great choral singing,” says Schöbinger-Muck, looking forward to the great song festival.

June 3: World Premiere of the National Park Symphony:

• 3 p.m.: Styrian Harmonica Workshop at the Caja Festival with Michael Orr. The workshop is free, a free donation is required. If the weather is bad, the workshop will take place at Merkersdorf Elementary School.
• 7.30pm: World premiere of ‘National Park Symphony’ with choir at Hardegg National Park House. Orchestra Conductor: Daniel Mack, Soloist: Michael Orr.

June 25: Singing at Thaya with 14 choirs

• 2 p.m.: Choirs arrive at the castle, followed by a military parade through town
• 2.30pm: Singing on Thaya Bridge
• From 3 p.m.: concerts at the “Alten Badeplatz”, in bad weather at Hardeg parish church.

Other dates:

• July 1st, 4.30pm: “Music Without Borders” hike, meeting point: Thayabrücke
• July 1st, 7 pm: Concert on String Wood and folk music group “H3” at Thayabrücke Inn
• July 15th, 8pm: Grenzlandkapelle Hardegg’s Modern Winds Concert at Musikheim Pleissing
• July 30, 5 p.m.: Daniel Mock Salon, Worcester at CAGA Festival
• August 6, 5 p.m.: Danube Brass Band at Feste Kaja