Europe News

Opera star Bartoli to lead prestigious festival in Salzburg

Sep 17, 2010, 13:05 GMT

Vienna - Italian singer Cecilia Bartoli is set to lead an offshoot of the prestigious Salzburg Festival from 2012, a source close to the festival confirmed Friday.

The mezzo-soprano is to follow Italian conductor Riccardo Muti in directing the Salzburg Whitsun Festival, which takes place in early summer every year.

Bartoli is expected to put the venue's focus even more on baroque music, according to the daily Kurier.

The singer is famous not only for her interpretations of Mozart and Rossini, but also for her performances of baroque music.