Elīna Garanča, Cecilia Bartoli & Thomas Blondelle Lead Lucerne Festival’s 2025 Summer Seson

The Lucerne Festival has announced its 2025 summer season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. The Lucerne Festival Orchestra and Riccardo Chailly perform Mahler with Elīna Garanča. Performance Date: August 15, 2025 The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra and Keri-Lynn Wilson perform Strauss and Beethoven. Rachel Willis-Sørensen is the guest soloist. Performance Date: August 18, 2025 Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di {…}

Aug 31, 2024

Lucerne Festival 2024 Review: Die Walküre

(Photo: Lucerne Festival, Patrick Hürlimann) Jan Vogler was appointed as artistic director of The Dresdner Musikfestspiele in 2009, since when, according to the company’s website, it “has expanded its global reach and has broken new ground offering a wide range of programmatic concepts.” Its current project endeavors to open a “new chapter in Wagner interpretation history with its ‘The Wagner {…}

Jan 11, 2024

Lucerne Festival Announces 2024 Season

The Lucerne Festival has announced its 2024 season. Here are the vocal performances. Kent Nagano conducts Wagner’s “Die Walküre” with a cast that includes Simon Bailey, Maximilian Schmitt, Sarah Wegener, Åsa Jäger, and Dimitry Ivashchenko. Performance Date: August 21, 2024 The Klangforum Wien, Cantando Admont, and Beat Furrer perform Beat Furrer’s “Begehren.” Performance Date: Sept. 1, 2024 The Jupiter Ensemble, Thomas {…}

Sep 9, 2023

Lucerne Festival Releases Statement Regarding Climate Change Protest

The Lucerne Festival has released a statement after Climate Activists from Renovate Switzerland interrupted a performance on Sept. 8. The statement by Lucerne Festival Director Michael Haefliger said, “We regret that yesterday’s concert was interrupted by ‘Renovate Switzerland’ climate activists. In general, we support standing up for environmental issues. However, we have no sympathy at all for the way the two {…}

Aug 3, 2023

Riccardo Chailly Cancels Lucerne Festival Performances Due to Illness

Riccardo Chailly has canceled his upcoming performances at the Lucerne Festival. The company said that Chailly was taken ill and had to undergo a sudden operation. As a result, Paavo Järvi and Andrés Orozco-Estrada will take over. Järvi will conduct the Festival’s Opening Concert on August 11 as well as the concert on August 12, and Orozco-Estrada will lead the {…}

May 27, 2023

Lucerne Festival Announces New Executive & Artistic Director

The Lucerne Festival has announced a new Executive and Artistic Director. The festival said that Sebastian Nordmann will take the position on Jan. 1, 2026, succeeding Michael Haefliger, who, as previously announced, will conclude his directorship of the Festival at the end of 2025 ; he held the position for 26 years. Nordmann has been Director of the Konzerthaus and Konzerthaus {…}

Dec 5, 2022

Lucerne Festival’s Executive and Artistic Director to Step Down

The Lucerne Festival‘s Executive and Artistic Director has decided to step down after 26 years. The company said Michael Haefliger decided not to extend his contract and will end his term in 2025. As a result, the Board of Trustees has appointed a committee to conduct an international search for his successor. Haefliger started leading the Lucerne Festival in 1999 {…}

Mar 22, 2022

Three Switzerland Organizations Release Joint Statement on Russian Artists

The Lucerne Festival, Verbier Festival, together with the OSR orchestra of Geneva have released a statement regarding Russian artists and have condemned the war in Ukraine. The organizations said, “As three of Switzerland’s leading music institutions, we strongly condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As these disturbing events have unfolded, we have taken firm and impactful measures, including the cancellation {…}

Feb 28, 2022

Lucerne Festival & Riga Jurmala Festival Cancel Valery Gergiev’s Concerts

Two prominent festivals have cut ties with Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra. On Monday morning the Riga Jurmala Festival in Latvia and the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland decided to cancel upcoming events with the leading conductor. In a statement by Executive and Artistic Director Michael Haefliger of the Lucerne Festival said, “Lucerne Festival has decided to cancel the {…}

Nov 12, 2021

Angel Blue, Juan Diego Flórez, Elīna Garanča & Cecilia Bartoli Lead Lucerne Festival’s 2022 Season

The Lucerne Festival in Switzerland has announced its 2022 season featuring a diverse program of works. Here is a look at the vocal performances that the Swiss festival will offer this summer. Riccardo Chailly conducts the Lucerne Festival Orchestra with Andrè Schuen. The program includes Mahler’s “Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen” and Symphony No. 1 in D major. Performance Dates: August {…}

Dec 2, 2020

Elīna Garanča, Cecilia Bartoli, Alice Coote & Juan Diego Flórez Lead Lucern Festival’s 2021 Season

The Lucerne Festival has announced its 2021 summer season. For this article, we will only concentrate on vocal performances at the Swiss festival. Riccardo Chailly conducts Gun-Brit Barkmin in a program that includes Mahler and Berg. Performance Date: August 13, 2021 Riccardo Chailly conducts Elīna Garanča in Mahler’s “Rückert-Lieder.” The program also includes Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D major. {…}