3 September – great operatic moments with Juan Diego Flórez
Yesterday’s final event of the 65th edition of Gstaad Menuhin Festival has been a memorable reflection of this summer: so British! In the Gstaad Festival Tent, Kevin Griffiths and the City Light Symphony Orchestra took the audience into the unique world of English cinema, with the exceptional participation of Bomsori Kim, who became “Menuhin’s Heritage Artist” this year. During the seven weeks of the Festival, almost 20'000 visitors flocked to the Gstaad Festival Tent and the picturesque churches of the region to attend more than 50 concerts (some of which took place twice an evening) and three master classes, not to mention the ever-increasing range of events for children and families, as well as for amateur musicians.
2022: “VIENNA – Beethoven delayed”
It’s time to get out your diary: The 66th Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy will take place from 15 July to 3 September 2022. And after London, next year’s repertoire takes us right to Vienna ... the capital of the waltz, and so much more! Beethoven was born in Zutphen, Holland, in 1772. We celebrate his 250th birthday in 2022. Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy is the only event worldwide celebrating the correct year of his birth. Excuse me? Fake news? Se non è vero, è ben trovato. If it is not true, it is very well invented. After all, our 2020 edition on “Vienna” with a focus on Beethoven has fallen victim to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, it is a comforting hand for us to be offered here for a content-related legitimisation of a belated Beethoven anniversary.
Jeunes Étoiles online voting – your voice counts!
During the past weeks of the Festival, the matinées of the “Jeunes Étoiles” concert series took place every Saturday morning in the Gstaad Chapel. This allowed the audience to immerse themselves in the musical world of tomorrow. The concerts of the seven young musicians were already broadcast on Gstaad Digital Festival on the Monday after each concert – now it's time to vote for your favourite artist: from 9 to 30 September, all concerts are made available to stream online. Whoever has received the most votes at the end of the voting will be invited to the festival again next year and perform an evening concert in the main programme.
gstaad festival orchestra
The Gstaad Festival Orchestra, as the core of Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy, was founded and first presented itself to the public in 2010. Since 2017, the orchestra has been significantly shaped by Jaap van Zweden, Music Director of the New York Philharmonic. Together with internationally celebrated soloists, the members of the orchestra spend their annual vacations in Gstaad to work on symphonic repertoire. Abroad, the orchestra has performed in world renowned concert halls like the Konzerthaus Wien, the Philharmonie am Gasteig or the Elbphilharmonie. Since 2014, the Gstaad Festival Orchestra has served as Orchestra in Residence of the Gstaad Conducting Academy.
gstaad academy
It is with the idea of perpetuating its commitment to the next generation that Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy created the Gstaad Academy in 2008: a structure in its own right to support an increasingly rich academic offer. At the Gstaad Academy we offer the complete range of master courses addressed to young professionals, as well as all the courses which are aimed at amateur orchestra musicians of all ages.
Yehudi Menuhin
Lord Menuhin, the founder of the Gstaad classical music festival bearing his name, is still remembered as a world famous violin child prodigy, conductor and humanist. His remarkable humanity, his multi-faceted artistic gifts and his perpetual curiosity were the hallmarks of his creative endeavours. It was in 1957 that this honorary resident of Saanen founded the legendary festival in the Saanenland. The promotion of young talent was just as important to him as playing music amongst friends.
