Rudolf Buchbinder
(c) Bruno Fidrych

The final concert of the Grafenegg Festival in Austria on Sunday encounters many problems. After Zubin Mehta, 89, had to cancel his conducting engagements, the festival announced on Monday that the Argentinian-Israeli conductor Barenboim would be standing in for Mehta.

On Wednesday afternoon there was another setback: the 82-year-old Barenboim suffered a fall. The Grafenegg Festival told APA that Barenboim, who made his Parkinson’s disease public in spring, has now also had to cancel his appearance on the podium. « He injured his shoulder, among other things, in a serious fall from Wednesday to Thursday night and is currently unable to perform, » it said in a statement.

Now, festival director Rudolf Buchbinder is stepping in himself and he will conduct the concert.