SALZBURG TO SHANGHAI
THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC EVERY MAY IN SALZBURG, THE BIRTHPLACE OF MOZART, DURING THE HOLIDAY KNOWN AS WHITSUN OR PENTECOST. THE SALZBURG FESTIVAL, AN AUSTRIAN INSTITUTION SINCE 1920, HAS SET THE STAGE FOR MANY OF EUROPE’S FAMED CLASSICAL-MUSIC AND OPERATIC CONDUCTORS, NOTABLY HERBERT VON KARAJAN, WHO WAS ITS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR FROM 1956 UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1989. IN 1936, THE FESTIVAL HOSTED A PERFORMANCE BY THE TRAPP FAMILY SINGERS, THE STORY OF WHICH WAS LATER MADE INTO THE DRAMATIC RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN MUSICAL THESOUNDOFMUSIC. IN THE 1960S, HOLLYWOOD USED THE VERY SAME AMPHITHEATRE—CUT INTO THE FACE OF THE MÖNCHSBERG MOUNTAIN THAT THE SALZBURG FESTIVAL USES—FOR THE SILVER-SCREEN RENDITION OF THE SINGING VON TRAPP FAMILY.
ROLEX BRINGS THE FAMED AUSTRIAN MUSIC FESTIVAL TO MAINLAND CHINA
ROLEX IS FAMOUS FOR ITS PATRONAGE TO A NUMBER OF FIELDS OUTSIDE WATCHMAKING AND HAS BECOME A PERMANENT FIXTURE IN THE WORLDS OF TENNIS, GOLF, SAILING, MOTORSPORTS AND THE ARTS. IN FACT, THE ICONIC SWISS WATCH BRAND BEGAN ENGAGING WITH THE ARTS IN THE 1970S WHEN SOPRANO KIRI TE KANAWA BECAME ROLEX’S VERY FIRST CULTURAL AMBASSADOR. SINCE THEN, ROLEX HAS BEEN A WELCOME PATRON FOR PRESTIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS THE TEATRO ALLA SCALA IN MILAN AND LONDON’S ROYAL OPERA HOUSE AS WELL AS THE WORLD-FAMOUS METROPOLITAN OPERA IN NEW YORK CITY. IN ADDITION, THE BRAND SUPPORTS EVENTS SUCH AS THE WHITSUN FESTIVAL (DIRECTED BY POWERHOUSE ITALIAN MEZZO-SOPRANO CECILIA BARTOLI) AND THE SALZBURG FESTIVAL, AS WELL AS A VARIETY OF CLASSICAL ARTISTS—AMONG THEM PLÁCIDO DOMINGO, JONAS KAUFMANN, GUSTAVO DUDAMEL AND YO-YO MA.
ROLEX, THE MAIN SPONSOR OF THE SALZBURG FESTIVAL SINCE 2012 AS PART OF ITS ROLEX ARTS INITIATIVE, BROUGHT ELEMENTS OF THE UPCOMING 2015 FESTIVAL TO SHANGHAI LAST DECEMBER TO HONOUR THE OFFICIAL INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW ROLEX CELLINI COLLECTION IN MAINLAND CHINA. AMONG THEM, ACCLAIMED RUSSIAN OPERA SINGER ILDAR ABDRAZAKOV WAS ACCOMPANIED BY ITALIAN PIANIST ALESSANDRO MISCIASCI (PICTURED ABOVE) AS THEY PERFORMED FOUR SONGS TOGETHER.