

V is for loVe! REPUBLIC OF LOVE OPENING
Welcome to the Republic of Love!
The Free Republic of Vienna was proclaimed a year ago here on Vienna’s Rathausplatz on 17 May. A dark year has passed since then. In Austria, a right-wing party has won the general election. Their election manifesto was titled Fortress Austria. In Slovakia, a nationalist government is busy destroying civil society. In Hungary, the dictatorship has entrenched itself. A top-down coup is being enacted in the USA. The population is rising against their far-right government in Serbia. There is still war in Ukraine and in the Middle East. The free world is falling apart.
Fascism wants to drive us apart, but we will not be separated! Here we are, standing up at the heart of Vienna eight decades after fascism was defeated – united in our diversity. A traditional brass band and a Mozart choir, Nicole – who won the Eurovision Song Contest 1982 – as well as singers and musicians from all over the world: from the USA, from Eastern and Central Europe, from Central Africa and Northern Iraq. People who love gospel, punk, Schlager, classical and traditional music – because we are saying: nobody will drive us apart! Our answer to division is solidarity; our answer to hatred is love. Our answer to the Fortress Austria is the Republic of Love.
Milo Rau & the Free Republic of Vienna team
EVERY TRUE REVOLUTION IS AN ACT OF LOVE EVERY TRUE LOVE IS A REVOLUTIONARY ACT
V IS FOR LOVE
JAUNTALER TRACHTENKAPELLE
CARAVAN OF LUV SERGE
MILO RAU
FABER
SAFIRA ROBENS
SOAP&SKIN NIKA KORENJAK
BICYCLE TERROR
LAURIE ANDERSON
AN EVENING WITH LOIBACH
KHALID RAWI
KAKUDJI
MOZART KNABENCHOR WIEN
DER NINO AUS WIEN
FUZZMAN
DENNIS RUSSELL DAVIES
CONCHITA WURST NICOLE
WITH CONTRIBUTIONS BY
Concept, Direction, Artistic direction Milo Rau | Freie Republik Wien
Musical direction Fuzzman (Herwig Zamernik)
Costumes Cedric Mpaka
With Laurie Anderson, Richard August-Chi, Bicycle Terror, Caravan of LUV, Dennis Russell Davies, Der Nino aus Wien, Faber, Clara Fischer, Fuzzman, Jauntaler Trachtenkapelle Loibach, Marko Jovanovic, Serge Kakudji, Alex Kranabetter, Mary Ann Mestanek, Mozart Knabenchor Wien, Nika Korenjak, Benjamin Mark, Nicole, Marco Otoya, Rat der Republik, Milo Rau, Khalid Rawi, Olga Shapovalova, Halyna Shcherbak, Safira Robens, Soap&Skin, Sodl, Dora Staudinger, Michael Wachelhofer, Conchita Wurst
Caravan of LUV Elia Redinger (Direction, Voice, Tambourin), Boerni (Voice), Benjamin Buchwald (Voice), Niklas Esterbauer (Voice, Percussion), Romy Jakovcic (Bass, Voice), Vale Kaiser (Voice, Percussion), Mareike Kremsner (Voice), Julia Makoschitz (Voice), Prince pauT de monaco (Guitar, Voice), Maria Petrova (Drums), Aaron Maria Steiner (Keys, Synths), Lan Sticker (Drums), Georg Vogler (Voice), Scharmien Zandi (Voice)
Jauntaler Trachtenkapelle Loibach Gregor Kovačič (Direction) Bine Brec, Jan Butej, Filip Diphol, Martin Dreier, Elfi Fina, Emma Gepart, Rosina Glawar, Phillipp Gunzer, Lena Haimburger, Sandra Krausler, Doreen-Monique Leitgeb, Luka Lesnik, Martin Mak, Kerstin Mlinar, Anna Lena Otterbein, Harald Podgornik, Katrin Podgornik, Klaudia Podgornik, Valentin Podgornik, Werner Podgornik, Klaus Potocnik, Johanna Rauter, Fabienne Roblek, Jakob Skias, Peter Skuk, Sarah Skuk, Alexander Toplitsch, Gerhild Toplitsch, Sebastian Toplitsch, Stefan Werkel, Thomas Zdravja, Elias Zweytick, Nikolas Zweytick, Thomas Zweytick
Mozart Knabenchor Wien Peter Lang (Direction) Gillian Agbon, Christos Apostolopoulos, Stephan Arlt, Radu Alexandru Boscu, Paul-Simon Brabenec, Aras Cigir, Lukas-Gabriel Despu, Paul Filimon, Fabian Garaus, Sophia Garaus, Ryan Kremser, Ivan Krivko, Edward Lalescu, Adrian Lehner, Lily McGregor, Gianluca Metzeltin, Alexander Miltchev, Jonathan Müller, Leonardo Neda, Rafael Reichard, Matthias Sommerbauer, Hannah Soraperra, Iris Stocker, Dominik Sylejmani, Teona Trposka, Markus Ursaciuc, Ivan Zolotov
ONLY SINNERS ARE WINNERS
Team Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna
Collaboration production Alexander Krones, Emilia Rafelsberger, Marlene Spielhofer, Verena Wardy, Julia Zeller Stage technique Michael Kreuzhuber, Philip Maierhofer, Vladislav Tchapanov Stage manager Gregor Mowczan Light technicians Andreas Lendais, Thomas Gleixner, Stefan Ebelsberger Sound technician Armin Wilfling Tipo visuals Szymon Olszowski Video technicians Gert Tschuden, Christoph Löbl, Maximillian Windisch-Spoerk LED Technique AV-Professional Live-camera Georg Eisnecker, Peter Pahl-Hirsch, Ronald Pfisterer, Julius Lermer, Team AV-Pro Broadcast sound Benjamin Wuthe, Benedikt Roß Technical direction Roman Streuselberger, Andreas Walter Production management Claudia Purschke Sign language performance Pam Eden Sign language interpreting Angelika Bolnberger, Eva Böhm, Marietta Gravogl Picture control LED walls Richard Treiblmaier Sound design Doris Jaindl, Volker Werner Lights Gerd Schneider Direction assistance Giacomo Bisordi Costumes Cedric Mpaka Musical direction Fuzzman (Herwig Zamernik) Concept, Direction & Artistic Direction Free Republic of Vienna
The Wiener Festwochen would like to point out to the public that the opening will be recorded and broadcast by ORF and that the recordings made in this context (image, film, FS) will be used without remuneration.
PUBLICATION DETAILS
Owner, Editor and Publisher Wiener Festwochen GesmbH, Lehárgasse 11/1/6, 1060 Wien T + 43 1 589 22 0 festwochen@festwochen.at | www.festwochen.at General Management Milo Rau, Artemis Vakianis Artistic Direction (responsible for content) Milo Rau (Artistic Director) Picture Credit Cover: © Franzi Kreis Produced by Print Alliance HAV Produktions GmbH (Bad Vöslau) Design SIRENE Studio Layout Valerie Eccli

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Haltungsübung Nr.99

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