2012

In 2012, the Vorarlberg-born entrepreneur Hans-Peter Metzler became the new president of Bregenz Festival and chairperson of the Bregenz Festival private foundation. He replaced Günter Rhomberg. In 2002, Metzler was elected as chairperson of the Friends of the Bregenz Festival and in 2006 he was appointed as the festival's vice president. After a successful career at Siemens, including an oversea assignment in Singapore, Hans-Peter Metzler started his own business and established NewLogic Technologies, a chip manufacturer. In 2005, however, he sold the business. Afterwards, he established the technology companies Photeon Technologies and Interklicks and acquired interests in other businesses. Metzler studied mathematics and theoretical physics in Munich, Vienna and Innsbruck.

Faithful to the motto memories of the future, Bregenz Festival not only won over guests and critics with Andrea Chénier in 2012, but also impressed with the premiere of Detlev Glanert's opera Solaris. Glanert's works also featured prominently in other sections of the festival programme.
One of the highlights of the contemporary series Kunst aus der Zeit, KAZ, was the reunion with Berlin-based theater group Nico and the Navigators. Furthermore, two concerts took place: one at the Kunsthaus Bregenz and one at the Seestudio in the Festspielhaus. Once more, the Schauspielhaus Wien was part of the drama series. On the programme: Makulatur, a play by the well-known Austrian child psychiatrist and prose author Paulus Hochgatterer.
As part of the cross culture project in 2012, a masterclass of young composers had a good look at Smetana's The Moldau. Furthermore, there was an open community dance project under the name Panta rhei - everything flows!, which was performed in front of a sold out Werkstattbühne and turned out to be a huge success for amateur actors and musicians.