Scenic Salzburg, on the banks of the Salzach river, sits at the northern boundary of the Alps. The Altstadt, or "old town", is dominated by its baroque towers and churches and the massive hilltop fortress built in 1077. The first settlements at Salzburg, which means Salt Castle, date back to the Neolithic Age, and merged into one city by the Romans in 15 BC.
Above all, Salzburg is the city of Mozart. Perhaps the most enduringly popular of all composers, Mozart was born and raised in Salzburg in the late 18th century. Mozart's father Leopold Mozart was a violinist in the court orchestra of the Archbishop of Salzburg, for whom Mozart also worked for over a decade. There are many monuments to the beloved “Wolferl” throughout Salzburg. Mozart's presence is everywhere: Mozart chocolates line the store windows, Mozart t-shirts, and Mozart look-alikes roaming the streets, but above all, Mozart’s music is heard throughout the picturesque streets and alley ways. The YO members visit the Mozarthaus, where they get a firsthand look at where the composer was born and raised.
The Youth Orchestra musicians also visit the famous Festspielhaus, the Festival Halls where the renowned Salzburger Festspiele (Salzburg Festival) where performances are held each summer. They visit the main concert hall as well as the very unique and scenic indoor/outdoor venue carved into the rocky hillside, known as the Felsenreitschule.
Many who have never been to Salzburg know this hall from a scene in the Sound of Music, as the von Trapp family singers performed on this stage in 1936 (think Capt. Von Trapp getting choked up singing Edelweiss). While the Sound of Music isn’t quite Don Giovanni, YO members nonetheless are singing Do-Re-Mi under their breaths as they make their way around the grounds.
After a magical day in the city of Mozart, the Orchestra heads back to Munich for its final two concerts in Bavaria before heading on to Prague.
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