The great composer Franz Lehár was not only a welcome summer guest in Bad Ischl, he also owned a villa next to the Traun river, which was converted into a museum after his death.
The former k.u.k. Court Theatre on Kreuzplatz was renamed the Lehár Theatre in his honour and the summer operetta festival also bears his name. A bust of Franz Lehár can be found in the Kurpark.
The operetta festival has been held annually in July and August at the Kongress- und TheaterHaus since 1961. It was renamed the Lehar Festival Bad Ischl in honour of the great composer of the silver and golden operetta era.
Contact
Lehár Festival Bad Ischl
Kurhausstraße 8, 4820 Bad Ischl
Tel.: +43 6132 23839, e-mail: karten@leharfestival.at
In 2020, the great composer Franz Lehár (∗ 30 April 1870 in Komárom, † 24 October 1948 in Bad Ischl) would have turned 150.
In honour of this anniversary there was, among other things, a live reading from the Trinkhalle, a special broadcast with rarities by Lehár and a special post office with the special stamp "150 years of Franz Lehár".