Lucerne Symphony Orchestra makes its debut at Swiss Alps Classics – advance ticket sales for 2023 start on December 1

Andermatt (30.11.2022) – The Swiss Alps Classics presents a very special concert highlight in 2023: At the seventh edition (June 15 to 17), the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra will make its debut at our festival. For the crowning festival finale on June 17 (6:30 p.m.), the oldest Swiss symphony orchestra will perform in the Andermatt Concert Hall. Advance ticket sales for this outstanding concert experience begin this Thursday (Dec. 1, 2022, from 9 a.m.). Tickets from CHF 70 are available via the ticket store on the event website.

Under the direction of principal conductor Michael Sanderling, the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra will perform two works by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) that belong to the "world cultural heritage" of classical music: the Violin Concerto in D major, op. 61, and the Symphony No. 5 in C minor, op. 67. 67. Historically, both works are particularly closely linked to the vita of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, as they both date from around 1800, the very period in which the current resident orchestra of the Culture and Convention Center Lucerne (KKL) was founded. The Swiss violinist Sebastian Bohren (born 1987) makes his double debut: he plays Beethoven's Violin Concerto for the first time with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra.

Soloist Sebastian Bohren emphasizes: "I am particularly pleased to be able to perform in Andermatt for the first time: The concert hall there, situated in the middle of the wonderful mountain landscape, inspires me as an enthusiastic hiker very directly. Also that I may again work with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, and for the first time with Michael Sanderling, and this in my absolute favorite piece, the 'Opus Maximus' – Beethoven's violin concerto, makes this concert a summit meeting for me."

Festival founder Peter-Michael Reichel is very proud of the engagement of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra: "Our festival history is still young, but this concert will definitely go down in our history. I'm especially happy for our loyal Swiss festival fans that we are able to present a legendary orchestra from their home country that enjoys a world-class reputation."

Reichel does not yet want to reveal the other two festival concerts on June 15 and 16. They will be announced at a later date.

SAVE THE DATE

The seventh edition of the Swiss Alps Classics will take place from June 15 - 17, 2023. We are already looking forward to once again impressive and exciting concerts during the festival series.

The Swiss Alps Classics stands for beautiful, sometimes extraordinary locations around the mystical St. Gotthard as well as for personal closeness to world-class artists. Which motto follows “Mozart” (2017), “Family” (2018), “Composer Festival” (2019), “Beethoven.250” (2020), “Variations on the theme of music” (2021) and “Festival of the Violin” (2022) is not yet revealed.

The festival program and all information on ticket sales will be available here on our festival website starting in the beginning of December.

Very positive festival results of the 6th Swiss Alps Classics

The organisers of the Swiss Alps Classics draw a very positive conclusion from the sixth edition of the festival. “The response from our spectators was very good. The feedback rewarded our very demanding and diverse program and once again our special concert locations”, said festival founder and organizer Peter-Michael Reichel. Reichel was particularly enthusiastic about the new venue Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne, which was added to the festival this year. “The natural panorama in the Lakeview Ballroom 500 metres above Lake Lucerne was unique”, said Reichel of the final concert with the Austrian-Ukrainian exceptional violinist Maxim Brilinsky and the Swiss Alps Chamber Ensemble on June 12.

But he also highlighted once again the long-standing partnership with The Chedi Andermatt: “Our festival originated at The Chedi, this is our home. ” On June 10, Salzburg star violinist Benjamin Schmid, Viennese pianist Andrea Linsbauer and Viennese presenter Christoph Wagner-Trenkwitz performed in the Gotthardsaal of The Chedi with a Fritz Kreisler program that combined art, education and the best entertainment. Every year, The Chedi also houses the Festival Office, where the head of the organizing committee Sandra Reichel, the founder’s daughter, works with her team.

The Artistic Director, Clemens Hellsberg, summed up the program, which was under the motto “Festival of the violin”: “In addition to the outstanding artistic achievements, the human agreement of all the performers was impressive – whether it was the alumni of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation, who took part in the opening evening at the Park Hotel Vitznau, whether it was about the trio on the Fritz Kreisler evening, whether it was about the young “devil violinist” Ziyu He and his duo partner Christopher Hinterhuber. In this respect, the last evening at the Lakeview Ballroom was a special experience: a native Ukrainian with Austrian citizenship, an American and two Austrians – four musicians engaged in Viennese orchestras, who knew each other but had never performed in this formation, performed to perfection in Switzerland the works of two Austrian composers and one Belgian, Ukrainian, Polish and Norwegian composers. Culture has always been characterised by the peaceful coexistence and coexistence of the most diverse nations and States – could, or rather: should this not be a model, a model for policy?”

The organizers were also satisfied with the number of spectators. The four venues – Park Hotel Vitznau, The Chedi Andermatt, Andermatt Concert Hall and Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne – attracted a total of almost 600 visitors. Naturally, the top spot was the concert hall as the largest venue with 230 spectators, including an enthusiastic group of students from the Uri Music School. The date for the seventh edition of the 2023 Swiss Alps Classics will be announced shortly. Then the motto follows “Mozart” (2017), “Family” (2018), “Composer Festival” (2019), “Beethoven.250” (2020), “Variations on the theme of music” (2021) and “Festival of the Violin” (2022).

Festival opening with the "Young Pianists" at Park Hotel Vitznau - 4 years of cooperation with Lang Lang International Music Foundation

It was a goose bump moment when Lang Lang sat down at the piano in the theater(uri) in Altdorf on 1 July 2018 and played two solo pieces – Frédéric Chopin’s Nocturne No. 20 in C-sharp minor, Op. post, and Robert Schumann’s “Davidsbündlertänze”. The solo comeback came as a complete surprise – and it came in the small, exclusive ambience of our Swiss Alps Classics festival. Due to a protracted wrist injury, the original intention was for him to only play four-hands with four of his Lang Lang International Music Foundation’s (LLIMF) scholars who had accompanied him to the Swiss Alps. Aliya Alsafa, Kimberly Han, Clayton Stephenson and Eden Chen all played a piece alone and then a piece together with the virtuoso, but then came Lang Lang’s surprising solo performance.

It was a truly memorable evening in the sold-out theater(uri). A totally relaxed Lang Lang, who perpetually exudes an aura that only few renowned artists can match, embraced the Swiss Arts Classics’ Art Director Clemens Hellsberg backstage. The pianist and Hellsberg’s family have enjoyed a close bond for well on 20 years and now the Swiss Alps Classics has also enjoyed a friendship with Lang Lang and his foundation ever since that special day on 1 July 2018. It bestows festival audiences with uplifting musical experiences and there is a real sense of cooperation with the Lang Lang International Music Foundation. With the exception of the corona year in 2020 when US citizens were required to spend ten days in quarantine after arriving in Switzerland, two of the foundation’s young pianists perform annually at the Swiss Alps Classics. In 2019, it was Jasper Heymann and once again Aliya Alsafa, in 2021 it was Avery Gagliano and Amir Siraj. This year Elizabeth Zietz and Shuheng Zhang will open our festival in Park Hotel Vitznau at 6.00 pm on 9 June. Tickets are available at our event website.

Lang Lang sent the Swiss Alps Classics a video message on the occasion of the festival’s fifth jubilee last year: “I look back with beautiful joy from my visit in 2018. Lots of love to you,” said the Chinese world star at the time. “Thank you so much that you host once again the young pianists from my foundation.” And Lang Lang added, “Lots of love especially to you Clemens.”

When talking about the cooperation with the Lang Lang International Music Foundation, Clemens Hellsberg says, “All those experiencing the empathy with which Lang Lang embraces young people will understand why this great pianist, who was made a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador at the age of 21, has established a foundation to foster young talented musicians. It is something that is very dear to his heart.” Hellsberg also expressed his deep gratitude to the “POK Pühringer Privatstiftung”, a private foundation that has supported the partnership from the beginning: “Very dear to the heart – the words also applies to the Pühringer family’s promotion of music and young musicians, and they are writing Swiss and Austrian cultural history.”

It is now also a special tradition that Park Hotel Vitznau plays host to the concerts performed by the young pianists. Urs Langenegger, General Manager of the Park Hotel Vitznau, says about the three-year partnership: “Young musicians should have the opportunity to present their world of notes to an audience, gain experience and to meet new people. We, the Park Hotel Vitznau, would like to offer them a platform where life’s dreams in the world of music can grow. The classical tones of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation’s young musicians that perform at the Swiss Alps Classics concerts here in our hotel, have been delighting our guests for years. The walls of our five-star deluxe hotel that are steeped-in-history enclose a world full of tranquillity and culture. The location on Lake Lucerne with its picturesque view of central Switzerland’s mountains acts as an inspiration to the talented up-and-coming musicians”

Automotive partner Christen Automobile remains loyal to the Swiss Alps Classics

Important for a festival like the Swiss Alps Classics is, alongside the brilliant musicians, also the partners and sponsors that enable the event to take place. Our official automotive partner Christen Automobile from Schattdorf has been a part of the festival right from the beginning and has remained loyal throughout. The fleet of Audis are in service non-stop between Zürich Airport, the various railway stations and the Andermatt, Vitznau and Bürgenstock concert venues. The fleet includes two electric vehicles, one of which is the e-tron.

All the information about the Lang Lang International Music Foundation can be found on its website at www.langlangfoundation.org

"The violin is the queen of the instruments" – lyrical quotes on the violin

The Swiss Alps Classics kicks off in just one week. The motto of the sixth edition of the festival, taking place from June 9–12, is "Festival of the Violin." The violin has been a particularly fascinating instrument since its invention in the early 16th century. As a little taste of what’s to come at the 6th Swiss Alps Classics, the four violinists performing at this year's festival, BENJAMIN SCHMID, ZIYU HE, MAXIM BRILINSKY, and LUCAS STRATMANN, tell us what "their" instrument means to them. And a quote must be included from our artistic director CLEMENS HELLSBERG about his "love story" with the violin. Hellsberg, after all, was once prime violinist with the Vienna Philharmonic.

This year's festival program is available here. Tickets may be purchased via the ticket store on the website, as well as package deals with hotel accommodation.

Benjamin Schmid (June 10, 2022 / 7 pm / The Chedi Andermatt):
"As a violinist, I think the idea of a 'Violinissimo Festival' is brilliant, because the violin is the queen of instruments! No instrument can connect two notes more beautifully, no instrument allows for so much virtuosity. And after 500 years of unchanged construction, this wooden box upon which horsehair is stroked over dried gut strings still touches us to our core!"
Benjamin Schmid's violin: Antonio Stradivari, Cremona 1718, „ex Viotti, ex Rosé“ (provided by the Oesterreichische Nationalbank).

Ziyu He (June 11, 2022 / 6.30 pm / Andermatt Konzerthalle):
“For me, the violin is the most human instrument of all; it has a vibrato like a human voice. There are a thousand different ways to play the notes, unlike with a piano, for example. This is the magic of the violin. To me, it feels like an extension of my body. "
Ziyu He's violin: Andrea Guarneri, Cremona 1688 (provided by a private sponsor).

Maxim Brilinsky (June 12, 2022 / 7.30 pm / Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne):
"The violin (and the same goes for all string instruments!) is its own universe, where the prevailing natural laws are in equilibrium. Added to this is the performer who is always looking for the perfect balance between himself and the instrument, so that the two “persons” harmonize as much as possible. This quest is never over; it's a “living” thing – and that's the beauty of it, too!"
Maxim Brilinsky's violin: Jean-François Aldric, Paris 1804. The instrument is a model based on Antonio Stradivari.

Lucas Stratmann (June 12, 2022 as a member of the Swiss Alps Chamber Ensemble / 7.30 pm / Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne):
"What I love most about the violin is the timbre of the instrument. From the warm depth of the G-string to the sparkling and soaring quality one can feel while playing the E-string, it is as if you have the 4 voices of a choir right under your fingertips. It gives you infinite possibilities of sound and character that you can create. I’m also extremely grateful for the endless number of master works composed for or that highlight the instrument."
Lucas Stratmann's violin: Alberto Ferdinando Móglie, Washington in 1926.

Clemens Hellsberg (Artistic Director):
"I've had a 'love story' with the violin since I was four years old, and I'm becoming more aware of it as I get older: The number of expressive possibilities on this instrument is limitless; it also incorporates the feelings and the personality of the performer. The gradual discovery of this mysterious world means a continuous penetration into the soul of the instrument ... and, to the same extent, into the depths of one's own soul. Neither (process) is ever complete, which gives us an sense of infinity."
Clemens Hellsberg's violin: Joseph Gagliano, Neapel 1759.

UKB has been a loyal partner since the beginning of the festival

The Swiss Alps Classics wants to stress how important its sponsors are. With Urner Kantonalbank, the festival has enjoyed a strong partnership from the beginning. We are very grateful for that. UKB CEO Christoph Bugnon emphasized: “We’re pleased about the long-term partnership and the fruitful cooperation. The Urner Kantonalbank has supported the festival from the start and is delighted that the significance of the festival has only grown over the years and has an important impact on the canton of Uri. The festival consequently aligns very well with our values, which are, among other things, focused on long-term partnerships."

Ziyu He loves the Austrian lifestyle and intends a "virtuoso fireworks" for Andermatt Concert Hall

ZIYU HE listened to one of his parents' classical music CDs in the Chinese port city of Qingdao at the age of three: the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra's New Year's concert. Though his parents, a kindergarten teacher and train-station agent, knew little about classical music, they owned Karajan recordings and the "Viennese" were their favorite orchestra. When the toddler Ziyu He heard the music, his could feel his whole body begin to vibrate. "I was totally blown away by the sound of the violin. I immediately asked for a violin for my fourth birthday." He commenced playing the violin at the age of five and proved to be a "child prodigy." "For me, the violin is the most human instrument of all; it has a vibrato like a human voice. There are a thousand different ways to play the notes. That’s the magic of the violin," says the now 23-year-old, who moved to Salzburg at the age of 11 to get the best training in Austria – "the center of the classical music world," as he puts it. Incidentally, when Ziyu He speaks, he does so in Salzburg dialect.

The young violin star, who won the Eurovision Young Musicians Competition in Cologne for Austria in 2014, will perform at the sixth Swiss Alps Classics at the Andermatt Concert Hall on July 11 (6:30pm). This year's motto is "Festival of the Violin," and, fittingly, Ziyu He will deliver virtuosity of the highest order. Tickets for the concert, which he will perform with his chamber music partner – acclaimed pianist and Vienna University of Music professor CHRISTOPHER HINTERHUBER – are available through the festival website www.swissalpsclassics.ch. Their program includes "classic works" by Ludwig van Beethoven and Johannes Brahms as well as virtuoso pieces by Niccolò Paganini, Pablo de Sarasate and Maurice Ravel. "The second half will offer real fireworks," reveals Ziyu He. He is especially looking forward to playing Paganini’s Introduction et Variations sur le Thème 'Nel cor più non mi sento' pour le Violon seul. "This is the most difficult solo piece ever composed for the violin. It features everything you can do on the violin in eleven minutes." He adds: "It's my signature piece; the audience simply loves it."

But how did Ziyu He end up in Salzburg in the first place? He first met Professor Paul Roczek in Beijing, who became his mentor. Ziyu He then decided to follow him to Salzburg and study at the Mozarteum. His mother Jianqing Meng, the kindergarten teacher, joined him, while his father Gang He stayed behind in China to work. "This decision was not easy for my parents, but they are still happily married," Ziyu He reports. When he turned 18, his mother went back to China.

Ziyu He has learned a lot from his teacher Paul Roczek – even beyond the violin: "He showed me how to enjoy life," says Ziyu He, who is very fond of the Austrian lifestyle. "I love everything about Austria. I love nature, the mountains, the water, the forests - they give me inspiration. And I love Austrian food and wine."

Ziyu He is now also studying at the Mozarteum with Professor BENJAMIN SCHMID. The latter will give a concert at the Swiss Alps Classics on June 10 (7pm), the day before Ziyu He. The outstanding Austrian violinist Schmid, for three decades constant presence in the international concert scene, will present together with the pianist ANDREA LINSBAUER and the dramaturge CHRISTOPH WAGNER-TRENKWITZ (as moderator) an evening in honor of the Viennese violinist and composer Fritz Kreisler, who died in New York in 1962. Tickets for the concert at the 5-star superior hotel The Chedi Andermatt are also available via the festival website.

On the festival's opening night (June 9, 2022, 6pm), which will be held at the Park Hotel Vitznau in collaboration with the Lang Lang International Music Foundation and the POK Pühringer Privatstiftung, Ziyu He will also introduce two Foundation alumni, ELIZABETH ZIETZ and SHUHENG ZHANG.

The young virtuoso is only at the start of an international career that is sure to take him to all of the world’s great concert halls. However, he already fulfilled a childhood dream in 2017: The then 17-year-old Ziyu He was privileged to perform with the Vienna Philharmonic under the baton of Adám Fischer in the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein building as one of the youngest soloists in the orchestra's 180-year history.

Andermatt Swiss Alps AG – a major partner since the festival began

A festival like this would not be possible without sponsors. Andermatt Swiss Alps AG has been a proud supporter from the start. CEO Raphael Krucker emphasizes: "With his Swiss Alps Classics, featuring a top-notch program, Peter-Michael Reichel has established himself as an integral part of Andermatt's cultural landscape."

For an overview of the official program of the Swiss Alps Classics 2022, please visit our festival website.

An interview with Maxim Brilinsky: "The violin is its own universe."

On June 12, 2022 (7:30pm), the violinist extraordinaire MAXIM BRILINSKY will make his debut at the Swiss Alps Classics. The native Ukrainian, who is now an Austrian citizen, will give a concert together with the Swiss Alps Chamber Ensemble at the Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne. With a new face and a new concert venue, festival organizers Peter-Michael and Sandra Reichel and artistic director Clemens Hellsberg are once again bringing to the festival exciting new highpoints. The motto of the sixth edition of the festival from June 9 to 12 is "Festival of the Violin." In this interview, Brilinsky, who won second prize at the prestigious Premio Paganini international competition in Genoa in 2002 at the age of 17, talks about the fascinating power of his instrument, the mystical and historically rich backdrop of Lake Lucerne – and what it's been like to be a member of the legendary Vienna Philharmonic since 2011.

At the closing concert of this year's Swiss Alps Classics, Brilinsky will perform together with ROBERT BAUERSTATTER (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra), LUCAS STRATMANN (Vienna State Opera Orchestra) and BENEDIKT HELLSBERG (Vienna Volksoper Orchestra). Tickets can be booked on the festival website as well as directly via the Bürgenstock Resort.

You will be playing at the Swiss Alps Classics for the first time. What did you know of the festival's reputation?

Maxim Brilinsky: "Carrying on beautiful traditions is always something special. This includes the Swiss Alps Classics, where art combines with wonderful scenery to create special experiences for both the audience and the performers. I'm really looking forward to this experience."

Lake Lucerne is a mystical place, and also very interesting in terms of music history. You will be performing 500 meters above the lake in the Lakeview Ballroom of the Bürgenstock Resort. What comes to mind when you think of Lake Lucerne and this picturesque concert setting?

Brilinsky: "Every year when I am in Lucerne with the Vienna Philharmonic, I’m excited to see the stunning vista of Lake Lucerne. Paying a visit to the Wagner Villa in Tribschen is also a must! This time, however, it will be a special treat for me to witness this inspirational place from a completely different perspective with the chamber music."

You are a part of the Vienna Philharmonic, as is Robert Bauerstatter (viola), who joins the Swiss Alps Chamber Ensemble for the fifth time this year. Can you explain for outsiders how it feels to be a member of this legendary, world-famous orchestra ...

Brilinsky: “Let me return to be first answer. It is a privilege and at the same time a challenge to carry on traditions. Since I’m now one of the orchestra members who is already reaching middle age, it is not only a matter of embracing the tradition, but also the responsibility of passing it on to the younger generation. One difficulty is that the Viennese tradition cannot be expressed in words. Letting the music speak, and immersing yourself in the sound of this orchestra, is thus all the more magical."

What is special about the program you will perform on June 12?

Brilinsky: "I have the distinct pleasure of performing this time as a soloist, as a duet with each of my fellow musicians, and with all of them together as a string quartet. Our program includes major works from the Viennese Classical period, such as the “Emperor's Quartet” by Joseph Haydn, and works by the great Belgian violin virtuoso Eugène Ysaÿe and the Ukrainian composer Borys Lyatoshynsky from the first half of the 20th century. We will also play a piece by another important violin virtuoso, Henryk Wieniawski: his “Legend,” which he dedicated to his wife. I arranged this fairytale-like, but also very expressive piece for two violins so that I could play it with my daughter, and I dedicated this arrangement to my wife."

The motto of the Swiss Alps Classics is “Festival of the Violin.” What significance does this instrument have for you?

Brilinksky: "The violin (and the same goes for all string instruments!) is its own universe, where the prevailing natural laws are in equilibrium. Added to this is the performer who is always looking for the perfect balance between himself and the instrument, so that the two “persons” harmonize as much as possible. This quest is never over; it's a “living” thing – and that's the beauty of it, too!"

Visitors can travel to the concert on June 12 from Lucerne by boat across Lake Lucerne and then take the cable car up to the Bürgenstock. Sven Flory, director of sales and marketing at Bürgenstock Resort, says of the new cooperation: "We are proud to host the Swiss Alps Classics big finale for the first time and eagerly await an evening with world-class artists. The Bürgenstock Resort provides an ideal setting for a moving and festive evening. The breathtaking view high above Lake Lucerne of the Swiss Alps and the majestic architecture all contribute to a rare and awe-inspiring experience."

For an overview of the official program of the Swiss Alps Classics 2022, please visit our festival website.

Advance ticket sales start for the Swiss Alps Classics 2022

This Wednesday, tickets sales begin for the 6th Swiss Alps Classics, which will take place under the motto "Festival of the Violin" from June 9 to 12, 2022. For the second time since 2018, the outstanding Austrian violinist BENJAMIN SCHMID will be performing at the Swiss Alps Classics on June 10. Schmid has grown very fond of the family-oriented festival in the Swiss Alps in the mythical St. Gotthard region: "It combines the highest musical standards with Switzerland's greatest strengths: unparalleled nature and Swiss precision – creating a very unique musical experience," says the Salzburg native. You can find an overview of the official program here on our festival website.

Tickets for the first three concert evenings with the Young Artists of the LANG LANG International Music Foundation, ELIZABETH ZIETZ and SHUHENG ZHANG (June 9, Park Hotel Vitznau), BENJAMIN SCHMID (June 10, The Chedi Andermatt) and the rising Austrian-Chinese star ZIYU HE(June 11, Concert Hall Andermatt) are available from CHF 75 on the festival websitewww.swissalpsclassics.ch.

Tickets for the closing concert featuring Ukrainian-born MAXIM BRILINSKY with the SWISS ALPS CHAMBER ENSEMBLE (June 12)can be booked exclusively through Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne. The Lakeview Ballroom of the Bürgenstock Resort, a breathtaking 500 meters above Lake Lucerne, will host the festival for the first time this year. Magnificent hotels have always been part of the exceptional and sometimes unexpected venues of the Swiss Alps Classics.

Benjamin Schmid will perform again at The Chedi Andermatt with his program entitled "Liebesfreud - An Evening in Honor of Fritz Kreisler." Schmid can’t help raving about the 5-star superior hotel: "The Chedi is undoubtedly one of the most impressive hotels I have had the pleasure of visiting in my many travels. The first glimpse of visual perfection is followed a sense of awe at the overall architecture, the discovery of numerous details, and an indulgence in first-rate service that can’t be topped ... it’s an amazing experience!” In 2018, Benjamin Schmid and his Swiss wife Ariane Haering dazzled guests on the piano together – in keeping with the festival's motto of “family." This time, the pianist ANDREA LINSBAUER joins him for the evening in honor of Fritz Kreisler, who died in New York in 1962 and is considered the best (Viennese) violinist of all time. The program will be moderated by Austrian dramaturge and author CHRISTOPH WAGNER-TRENKWITZ.

In a sense, The Chedi Andermatt is the festival’s "fixed star" – our cooperation has been in place since 2017. Jean-Yves Blatt, General Manager of the Chedi, states: "It is a great pleasure for us to welcome the Swiss Alps Classic now for the sixth time at The Chedi Andermatt. As the summer season kicks off, we are celebrating our long-standing friendship, the unique artists and talents, as well as our repeat accolade from the ‘Forbes Travel Guide,’ which awarded The Chedi Andermatt 2022 with five stars for the fourth year in a row."

Following the previous festival mottoes "Mozart" (2017), "Family" (2018), "Composers' Festival" (2019), "Beethoven.250" (2020) and "Variations on Music" (2021), this year's motto is "Festival of the Violin." Benjamin Schmid waxes poetic on the subject: "As a violinist, I think the idea of a 'Violinissimo Festival' is brilliant, because the violin is the queen of instruments! No instrument can connect two notes more beautifully, no instrument allows for so much virtuosity. And after 500 years of unchanged construction, this wooden box upon which horsehair is stroked over dried gut strings still touches us to our core!"

In forthcoming press releases we will introduce you to the two other masters of their instrument who will be taking center stage at this year's Swiss Alps Classics concerts, Ziyu He and Maxim Brilinsky, as well as to the other concert venues – the Andermatt Concert Hall, the Park Hotel Vitznau, and the Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne. In the run-up to the festival, we’re also excited to tell you about our cooperation with the POK Pühringer Privatstiftung and the Lang Lang International Music Foundation, which began in 2018.

6. Swiss Alps Classics under the motto “Festival of the Violin”

The sixth edition of the Swiss Alps Classics, founded in 2017 by Peter-Michael Reichel, is entitled Festival of the Violin: Three violinists of different generations and countries of origin will highlight this year's event from June 9 to 12. Peter-Michael Reichel remarks: “After two years of weathering Corona with effective safety measures, we are now looking forward to a return to business as usual. We hope that our visitors will be able to enjoy the concerts without any restrictions. For me, the Festival of the Violin has a fitting symbolism for the Swiss Alps Classics: The violin is about emotion and the spirit. Our concert backdrops in the breathtakingly beautiful Swiss Alps are spiritual venues where countless emotions are unleashed." Artistic director Clemens Hellsberg adds: "As a violinist, I am thrilled by the fantastic skill and ravishing musicality of these performers, who are so different from one another and alike in their mastery of this magnificent instrument."

Ticket sales for the 6th Swiss Alps Classics are scheduled to start in the first week of May. Our official program can be found here on our festival website.

The Austrian BENJAMIN SCHMID (b. 1968), a permanent fixture in the international concert scene for three decades, will make his second guest appearance at Swiss Alps Classics since 2018. Together with pianist ANDREA LINSBAUER, he will present an evening in honor of the violinist Fritz Kreisler, who passed away in New York in 1962, on June 10(7pm) at the 5-star Superior Hotel The Chedi Andermatt. His enchanting miniatures for violin are part of the repertoire of most violinists, but are usually "only" heard as recital encores. Benjamin Schmid and Andrea Linsbauer dedicate their entire program to Viennese-born Fritz Kreisler, which will be moderated by Austrian dramaturge and author CHRISTOPH WAGNER-TRENKWITZ.

ZIYU HE was born in 1999 in Quingdao (China) and studied violin at the Mozarteum University Salzburg from 2011. In 2014, he won the Eurovision Young Musicians competition, and in 2017 he made his debut as a soloist with the Vienna Philharmonic. He has since gone on to forge an impressive international career. Together with his chamber music partner, renowned pianist CHRISTOPHER HINTERHUBER, professor at the Vienna University of Music, he will present a program on June 11 (6:30pm) at the Andermatt Concert Hall, which opened in 2019. The program includes "classic" works by Ludwig van Beethoven and Johannes Brahms as well as virtuoso pieces by Niccolò Paganini, Pablo de Sarasate, and Maurice Ravel.

The debut of MAXIM BRILINSKY – born in 1985 in Lviv, Ukraine – promises to be especially moving! In 2002, he won second prize at the Premio Paganini in Genoa, and, since 2011, he has been a member of the Vienna Philharmonic. During the concert on June 12 (7:30pm), he will perform duos in various instrumentations together with LUCAS STRATMANN (orchestra of the Vienna State Opera), ROBERT BAUERSTATTER (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra) and BENEDIKT HELLBERGER (member of the Academy of the Bruckner Orchestra Linz). He will also present two string quartets: a work by Ukrainian Boris Lyatoshinsky (1895-1968) and the Imperial Quartet by Joseph Haydn with variations on his 1797 anthem of the former Habsburg Empire, which at the time included Galicia and its capital, Lviv. With the closing concert of this year's festival, we will be guests for the first time at the enchanting Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne, situated high above Lake Lucerne. We are delighted about the opportunity to expand the Swiss Alps Classics’ to exciting new venues.

The Festival of the Violin will be kicked off – unexpectedly perhaps – with a piano recital: On June 9 (6pm), at the Park Hotel Vitznau, idyllically nestled on the shores of Lake Lucerne, we will have the honor of continuing our collaboration with the POK Pühringer Privatstiftung and the Lang Lang International Music Foundation, which began in 2018. ELIZABETH ZIETZ and SHUHENG ZHANG will, however, be welcomed by a violinist: Ziyu He will introduce the two Young Scholars and have a musical surprise in store.

A few of the 2021 press releases at a glance:

Marisol Montalvo thrills at finale with one-woman show “Mad Scene”
You can find the press release under media & press in the archive.
A video of Marisol Montalvo's concert can be found here on our YouTube channel.

A heavenly concert by the Swiss Alps Chamber Ensemble at Disentis monastery
You can find the press release under media & press in the archive.
A video of the concert in the Monastery Church Disentis can be found here on our YouTube channel.

Maria Radutu shines with her new solo program "Phoenix" at The Chedi
You can find the press release under media & press in the archive.
A video of Maria Radutu's concert can be found here on our YouTube channel.

Rousing opening concert by Avery Gagliano and Amir Siraj in Vitznau
You can find the press release under media & press in the archive.
A video of the concert at Park Hotel Vitznau can be found on our YouTube Channel.