Bayreuth

One of the happiest and most exciting experiences for the Wagnerian is a trip to the annual Wagner Festival in Bayreuth.

The Society is recognized by the Bayreuth Festival and in past years has been able to purchase blocks of tickets for Society members. Our members have been able to attend the Festival together for over 20 years. Tickets, when available, are offered to members according to a system of rotation designed to allow each member an equal opportunity to make the Bayreuth “pilgrimage.”

In 2011 the Bayreuther Festspiele Board rescinded the allocation of tickets to Wagner Societies for Festspiele 2012. In spite of this very upsetting decision, the Wagner Society of Northern California was still able to acquire tickets so that 8 members could attend Festspiele 2012.

In the late summer of 2012 the Bayreuther Festspiele Board reconsidered the policy of allocation of blocks of tickets to Wagner Societies and announced that it WOULD RESUME THE ALLOCATION PROCESS FOR FESTSPIELE 2013. This announcement was subsequently reversed after the German Federal Government objected and stated that Federal funding of the Festspiele would be withdrawn if allocations to Wagner Societies resumed. In spite of this, the Wagner Society of Northern California was able to acquire sets of tickets for its members.

Members in good standing of the Wagner Society of Northern California will be in attendance at the 2013 Jubilee Festspiele, which celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Richard Wagner.

Members of the Society meeting Wolfgang Wagner outside his office at the Festspielhaus. (L-R) June Carr, Steve Sokolow, David Dalto, Verna Parino, Rick Bogart and Liese Bauer.