Maria Kalesnikava to Deliver Opening Speech in Salzburg

Why this is here: After being imprisoned for over a year, Maria Kalesnikava was released in December 2025 and exiled from Belarus following negotiations with the United States.

Maria Kalesnikava, a Belarusian opposition leader and flutist, will give the opening speech at a festival in Salzburg, Austria. She is also an honorary professor at the University of Mozarteum. Kalesnikava previously served as a political prisoner and received the Karlspreis award for her work promoting European unity and peace.

Salzburg’s governor Karoline Edtstadler noted Kalesnikava’s courage in challenging the Belarusian regime. Interim director Karin Bergmann believes Kalesnikava embodies the power of art to inspire hope. Kalesnikava studied historical and contemporary music in Minsk and Stuttgart.

She was sentenced to eleven years in prison in 2021 for endangering state security, following her opposition to Alexander Lukaschenko’s disputed reelection. She was released and exiled in December 2025 through negotiations with the United States. The festival, held on July 26th, will also feature Belarusian musician Vitali Alekseenok and the Mozarteum Orchestra performing works by Lili Boulanger.